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A man to be charged in connection with the murder of former senior Sinn Féin and IRA figure and British agent Denis Donaldson is currently serving a lengthy jail sentence in Scotland.
The Irishman had been living in Scotland for a number of years when he was arrested over a plot to kill another high-profile sectarian figure.
He had been charged in Scotland in relation to dissident Republican activity in Scotland and was jailed along with a number of other men. While in jail he was set upon and badly beaten by other inmates. He is expected to be held in jail in Scotland for up to a decade for his crime.
Mr Donaldson was shot dead at a remote cottage on the outskirts of Glenties in Co Donegal on April 14th, 2006. He was 55.
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He had left Northern Ireland months previously and had been living in Glenties after he was exposed as an MI5 agent the previous year.
Although a number of arrests have been made in connection with the overall investigation into Mr Donaldson’s murder, nobody has ever been charged.
Garda Superintendent Michael Finan told the 23rd adjourned sitting of the inquest into Mr Donaldson's death at Letterkenny Courthouse on Wednesday that he had received directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions in the case.
"Acting on those directions, proceedings have been instituted against an individual for the murder of Denis Donaldson," he said. "A warrant has recently been obtained from the Special Criminal Court for the arrest of an individual for the purpose of taking him before that court, where he is to be charged with Mr Donaldson's murder.
“That is as much detail as I can provide in this matter at present.”
Coroner Dr Denis McCauley adjourned the case until September 23rd next year.