Patrick Devine, the 19-year-old student given bail yesterday after 27 days in prison in west Africa, has been advised to stay in Senegal for his trial next week for "mooning" outside a provincial governor's home.
Minister of State Pat the Cope Gallagher, who represents Mr Devine's home constituency in Co Donegal, said the legal and diplomatic advice to the teenager and his family was that he should remain in Senegal for judgement on his case next Wednesday.
It is understood, however, that no special conditions were attached to Mr Devine's bail. "They have at all times abided by the court's decisions," Mr Gallagher said. "There are only a few more days to the hearing."
Mr Devine, a Queen's University engineering student, was locked up after allegedly dropping his trousers and "mooning" at a provincial governor's official residence in St Louis.
Hopes that he would be given bail a week ago were dashed at a hearing in the Senegal capital, Dakar. But a court of appeal hearing in Dakar yesterday finally granted bail. Mr Devine was freed soon after when authorisation documents were despatched to jail officials in St Louis, where he was held in a cell with 40 other prisoners.
His mother, Noreen, and an uncle, Seamus Mulligan, were waiting to greet him on his release. They were accompanied by Bob Patterson, a diplomat from the Irish Embassy in Nigeria who has been with the family for three weeks. Another uncle, Eamonn McBride, who had been with family members in Senegal earlier, was back home in Donegal.
Mr Gallagher said he believed no further punishment was warranted. He said: "The young man has apologised and I think the case should be left at that." The Minister added that Mr Devine, from Dunfanaghy, raised €3,000 to cover transport and living expenses when he travelled to Senegal as a volunteer on work experience with Teaching and Projects Abroad.
Mr Gallagher said: "I was delighted to receive a call that the bail application was accepted."