A man has been charged with terror offences after a bomb scare at a peace conference forced security to evacuate Ireland’s foreign minister.
Simon Coveney was rushed from the event in north Belfast last Friday and bundled into a car after being interrupted mid-speech.
The Houben Centre was evacuated and a funeral service at nearby Holy Cross church was also disrupted.
Police said the driver of a van was threatened by two gunmen and forced to drive a device, which he believed to be a live bomb, to the church.
Detectives have charged a 40-year-old male with preparation of terrorist acts, hijacking and placing an article causing a bomb hoax.
He will appear at Laganside Magistrates’ Court in Belfast tomorrow. A 48-year-old woman, who was also arrested as part of the investigation, has been released.
The PSNI Serious Crime Branch carried out searches in the Ballysillan and Springmartin areas of north and west Belfast at the weekend.
A suspected firearm, two vehicles, a quantity of controlled drugs and a large sum of cash were seized.
Friday’s incident was condemned by politicians across the political spectrum after the conference organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation was derailed.
Secretary of State Brandon Lewis described the incident ‘reprehensible’.
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