A Dublin man told the Special Criminal Court yesterday that he ran away from his lap-dancing club in Temple Bar because of threats from the Continuity IRA.
Mr David Mooney, who is now in the witness protection programme, denied a suggestion by Mr Niall Durnin SC, defending, that he was asked to leave Bunnies lap-dancing club because of his behaviour.
"No, I ran away from the Continuity IRA, that's why I walked away," he said.
Mr Mooney has told the court that he paid Mr Martin Kelly and Mr Billy Clare €15,000 when his club Bunnies opened in Crown Alley in May last year after they demanded money for the Continuity IRA. Mr Mooney identified the two men in court.
Mr Kelly (46), a former soldier, of Westpark, Artane, and Mr Clare (35), Adare Park, Coolock, have denied membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the IRA on July 29th, 2002.
Mr Durnin, for Mr Clare, asked Mr Mooney if he was "paranoid" about threats made against him.
Mr Mooney replied: "You become a little paranoid when you are dealing with Billy Clare and Martin Kelly. I am in witness protection. It's not a holiday camp and Billy Clare and Martin Kelly are the cause of that."
Mr Mooney said that he was paid €150 a week in the witness protection programme and he agreed that the total money spent on him since going into the programme was €30,725.
Mr Pat Byrne told the court that he was a director of Protocol Contract Services, which he set up about 12 years ago.
Mr Byrne said his company provided security for over 60 premises in Dublin and he did not look for trouble.
He said he knew Mr Kelly and Mr Clare. He asked Mr Kelly to come to a meeting with Mr Mooney because Mr Mooney had called him and said that he was getting serious threats from another man.
Mr Byrne admitted making a statement to gardaí at the Great Southern Hotel at Dublin airport on August 4th last year after returning from holiday, but he said that parts of the statement did not reflect what he had said.
His entire statement was read to him by Mr George Birmingham SC, prosecuting. Mr Byrne denied making any reference to the gardaí to the IRA or the Continuity IRA. "I had nothing got to do with the IRA, never have and never will," he said.
Mr Byrne at one stage told the court: "I am fed up with it. I just want to get on with my life. Everything I said is being taken out of context."
Mr Byrne said he made the statement when he came back from holidays. "I was under a lot of duress. I was told that if I didn't co-operate I would end up in Portlaoise." He added: "I was a very tired man that evening, I could have said anything."
The trial continues on Tuesday.