A CASE in which the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, alleges libel by the Sunday Independent is scheduled to begin in the High Court on Tuesday.
The former Workers' Party TD, Mr Pat McCartan, and the MEP and former Progressive Democrat TD, Mr Pat Cox, are among the witnesses who will be called by the Sunday Independent to give evidence in the case, which arises from an article published in December 1992 and written by the newspaper's columnist Mr Eamon Dunphy.
Under the headline "Throwing good money at jobs is dishonest" the article referred to alleged links between the Workers' Party and criminal activities.
It also alluded to the party's relationship with the Soviet Union's old communist regime and questioned the acceptability of Democratic Left becoming involved in government in the wake of the 1992 general election.
Mr De Rossa was leader of the Workers' Party until he and a number of its TDs broke away to form Democratic Left in 1992.
The Sunday Independent will be represented in the case by Mr Paddy MacEntee SC and Mr Kevin Feeney SC. Mr Adrian Hardiman SC will appear for Mr De Rossa.
As well as Mr McCartan and Mr Cox, witnesses for the newspaper include Mr Jim Nash, a forensic document examiner and handwriting expert. Mr Nash's evidence is expected to relate to a signature, purporting to be Mr De Rossa's, which appeared on a letter requesting funds for the Workers' Party from the Soviet Union.
Mr Dunphy himself and Mr Ronan Fanning, Professor of Modern History at UCD, will also give evidence.
It is understood that several other witnesses will be called by the Sunday Independent. Some will be subpoenaed. It is not known whether Mr De Rossa's legal team will call witnesses.
