withdrew after allegations of bias. Following a second trial, presided over by Justice Seamus Henchy, the other four defendants were cleared on 23 October.

At the trial there was a direct contradiction of evidence regarding the sanctioning of the imports between Haughey and the chief prosecutorial witness, Jim Gibbons, Minister for Defence at the time of the attempted imports. Haughey admitted arranging customs clearance for the shipment, but claimed in his defence that he did not know it consisted