John Gilligan, who was jailed for 28 years for drugs offences, began an appeal against his conviction and sentence this morning.
There was heavy security outside the Four Courts in central Dublin for Gilligan's arrival. He was guarded by soldiers and members of the emergency response unit and surrounded by up to 15 prison officers.
Setting out the elements of the appeal, Michael O'Higgins, SC for John Gilligan said he would take the court on a virtual tour of the protected witnesses who gave evidence at Gilligan's trial in the Special Criminal Court.
The Gilligan side is dissecting not just the judgment delivered in March 2001, but has also indicated that it will again go through the evidence placed before the Special Criminal Court during the 44 day trial.
The three Judge Court of Criminal Appeal was told that a pivotal point in his appeal will be the operation of the Witness Protection programme.
Michael O'Higgins said that protected witness Charles Bowden was a serial liar and perjurer and that was a court finding.
He is asking the Appeal Court to rule that findings of fact were made by the trial court that were simply not there and that the court drew inferences from facts established that were not justified.
The court will deal first with the issue of the conviction and is expected to reserve its decision at the end of the appeal.
At his trial in the Special Criminal Court two years ago, 50-year-old Gilligan was acquitted of the murder of crime journalist, Veronica Guerin.
He was jailed for the importation of millions of pounds worth of cannabis.
The Special Criminal Court believed he was the supreme authority of a gang importing the drugs which grossed an estimated £28m for him between 1994 and 1996.
He reaped staggering profits, the court said, and it imposed a record 28-year sentence on some of the 11 drug charges and a 12-year concurrent sentence on a number of other drug related offences.
It is understood Gilligan has lodged 27 grounds of appeal.
These grounds will cover pre-trial issues, the conduct of the case and the court's reasoning in reaching its guilty verdicts which, it will be submitted, are unsafe.
The hearing which is presided over by Mr Justice McCracken is expected to last for the rest of the week.
