A journalist facing jail for contempt of court suggested yesterday that he was being punished for publishing allegations of collusion by the security forces in the murder of the Belfast solicitor, Mr Patrick Finucane.
Ed Moloney, Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune, was speaking outside the High Court in Belfast, where he is trying to have set aside a judge's order that he should hand over notes of an interview with Mr William Stobie, who was recently charged with the murder of Mr Finucane in 1989.
Referring to the prosecution's failure to allow him access to police interview notes, Mr Moloney asked: "Is the real reason that they would fuel claims of collusion in the Finucane murder and a cover-up?"
He is applying for a judicial review of an order by the Belfast Recorder, Judge Hart, to hand over his notes of the Stobie interview or face a fine or imprisonment. He has refused to comply on the grounds that this would jeopardise his career and be a breach of journalistic ethics.
Yesterday's hearing was adjourned and will probably not resume until early next month.
When Mr Moloney arrived at court he was greeted by fellow members of the National Union of Journalists. Mr Chris Loftus, president of the NUJ, said: "We are here to support Ed Moloney in this vital issue for journalists. Protecting sources is a basic principle of journalism and it is vital that journalism wins today."