Gerry Adams has told a court that a BBC response to his complaint over an allegation that he had sanctioned the murder of an informer was “absolutely insulting”.
The former MP and Sinn Fein leader is continuing to give evidence in his libel case against the broadcaster at the High Court in Dublin.
Mr Adams told the court on Thursday that the BBC had “doubled down” on its story after he had challenged it in 2016.
He claims a BBC Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of the former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson.
Mr Donaldson, who had worked for Sinn Fein, was shot dead in Donegal in 2006, months after admitting his role as a police and MI5 agent for 20 years.
Mr Adams denies any involvement.
In 2009, the Real IRA admitted killing Mr Donaldson.
The Spotlight programme was broadcast in September 2016.
Mr Adams entered the witness box for a third day where he faced further questioning from his counsel, Declan Doyle SC.
Mr Doyle began by reading several letters from Mr Adams’ and the BBC’s legal teams which had been issued in the months after the Spotlight programme was broadcast and before legal action was launched.
Mr Adams’ lawyers had written to the BBC seeking an apology and damages.
In the letters, the barrister said that the BBC had denied that the “meaning” of their programme was that Mr Adams had sanctioned the murder of Mr Donaldson.
But the letters from Mr Adams’ lawyers insisted “the sting of the broadcast” was the allegation he had given the green light for the murder.
In the Spotlight programme, which was shown in court earlier this week, an interview with an anonymous source known as “Martin” alleged Mr Adams sanctioned the killing.
The court heard that a letter from Mr Adams’ solicitors said: “We remain extremely concerned; is it the case that the BBC stand over the allegation?
“The interview was contrived in such a way that the anonymous source was not challenged in any way.”
The BBC responded by stating that it had complied with editorial guidelines in making the Spotlight programme.
Asked if he had been satisfied with the response from the BBC after his lawyers had raised a complaint, Mr Adams told the court “patently not”.
He said: “The BBC doubled down on the allegation.”
He said he had attempted to get the matter resolved without it coming to court.
Mr Adams pointed out that an article remained on the BBC website with the headline “Gerry Adams ‘sanctioned Denis Donaldson killing'”.
The former Sinn Fein president said there had been “all manner of tittle-tattle and gossip” in the months after the Spotlight programme.
He told the court he had instructed his solicitors to resolve the matter.
Mr Doyle said there were three main points in the BBC legal correspondence to Mr Adams – that the programme did not carry the meaning that he had sanctioned the murder of Mr Donaldson, that it was responsible journalism and that it had complied with BBC editorial guidelines.
Mr Adams said: “The headline on the website was very clear.”
The barrister asked him what he felt about the BBC response to his complaint.
He said: “Absolutely insulting, absolutely arrogant, this is a public broadcaster.
“The public pay for all of this.”
Mr Adams added: “They just dismissed it (the complaint), it was offensive, it was insulting and it is what has all of us here today.”
Mr Adams was then asked to read a statement he had released on the day of the murder of Mr Donaldson in 2006 when he condemned the killing.
In the statement, Mr Adams said the security services had “ruthlessly used Denis Donaldson to collapse the democratic process” and that it was “clear those who murdered him are against the peace process”.
The judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens then told the jury that some legal issues would be dealt with before the BBC barristers began their cross-examination of Mr Adams.
The arguments relate to the admissibility of evidence.
Mr Adams is expected to be cross-examined on Friday.
The case is expected to last four weeks.
Mr Adams, 76, stepped down as Sinn Fein president in 2018 after 34 years at the helm.
He served as an MP for West Belfast and represented Co Louth in the Irish parliament for nine years until the 2020 general election, when he retired from politics.
