27 December 1999. Thanks to A.
See related report: http://cryptome.org/tony3.htm
The Guardian 23 December 1999
Richard Norton-Taylor
Charges against a journalist of breaching the official secrets act for writing a book about the covert activities of the security services in Northern Ireland, have been dropped on the advice of Lord Williams, the attorney general, it was announced yesterday.
Tony Geraghty was arrested a year ago with Nigel Wylde, a former army officer, three months after the publication of his book, The Irish War. A spokesman for Lord Williams said yesterday he was no longer "content" for the case against Mr Geraghty to continue. The case against Colonel Wylde remained under review, he said.
Mr Geraghty was arrested by ministry of defence police after pressure from senior military officers. However, the MoD subsequently conceded that the book was embarrassing rather than damaging.
The Irish War describes the growing use of computers by military intelligence in identifying targets, including automatic photographing of vehicle registration plates. "In Northern Ireland, where around 3,000 killers are thought to be at large among a population of 1.5m, at least 1m names are now, on some security agency's computer," Mr Geraghty wrote. Two other computer systems "provide total cover of a largely innocent population."
Mr Geraghty described how MI5 enticed targets away from home by telling them they had won a holiday by chance in a competition. "While the target was away, the security service would plant a host of listening devices."
He said yesterday he was angry about the waste of his time and public money in pursuing a "perverse" prosecution, and that he would no longer have the opportunity "to test the issue of how censorship is exercised in this country."
Col Wylde, a computer consultant, said the decision to drop charges against Mr Geraghty was designed to limit the publicity the prosecution would attract: "To continue the prosecution against me is vindictive and unnecessary."