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Lisa Smith must be either charged or released today. Norma Costello
Lisa Smith

Gardaí set to either charge or release Lisa Smith

Smith must be released this morning from Garda custody if she isn’t charged.

LISA SMITH, THE former Defence Forces member, will be either released from Garda custody or be charged today. 

Under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, under which Smith is being held, gardaí can detain her for a maximum of 72 hours. 

Those 72 hours will run out before 11am this morning. 

Smith, who was flown in from Turkey on a commercial flight on Sunday morning, has been questioned by gardaí about her alleged involvement with the so-called Islamic State. 

The Dundalk native, who flew to Ireland along with her two-year old daughter and was accompanied by Army Ranger Wing members and other Irish officials, was arrested shortly after her flight landed. 

At about 9.30am yesterday, at a special sitting of the Dublin District Court, Judge Patricia McNamara acceded to a request from senior gardaí to extend the detention time to question her on suspected terror activities abroad.

She was represented by solicitor Peter Corrigan.

On Monday, Smith’s solicitor Darragh Mackin contended that the case against her is “inherently weak”. 

“I think it’s clear that she does not pledge allegiance to the terrorist organisation ISIS,” he said. “That was her case publicly.”

Earlier this week, local Louth TD Peter Fitzpatrick, who has been speaking on behalf of Smith’s family, said that Smith is “co-operating with the Garda Special Branch”.

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