NewsLetter Jul 17 2003 Agent Advised to Swear IRA Oath - Trial Told  A SECRET agent hired to infiltrate dissident republican groups was advised by his leaders that he should take an oath of allegiance to the Continuity IRA if he was asked to do so, a court heard yesterday. Trucking company boss turned informer David Rupert said he was never asked to swear allegiance to the group despite being made head of a three-man computer unit looking into possible cyberterrorism. When asked by Mr Rupert, his FBI handlers told him he should take an oath if requested, he said. Mr Rupert was giving details of his first meeting with alleged Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, at his trial at Dublin's Special Criminal Court. He said the meeting took place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Monaghan and was attended by McKevitt, himself and two other republican contacts. Mr Rupert, 51, was asked to give details of what was discussed at the meeting and was also asked to describe the lobby in which it took place. He said that at some point McKevitt told him that he ( Rupert) was in charge of army operations in the US and that he had an '' honorary seat'' on the group's army council. He was expected to report back to the US and tell people there what was happening to the money they were donating to the IRA. During cross-examination, the spy also told the court that he had been put in charge of a computer cell but never took an oath. Defence barrister Hugh Hartnett asked him whether he was surprised at not being asked to do this. The agent replied that he was surprised and brought the question up to his handlers in the security services. "They told me that if in fact I was asked to take an oath then to go ahead and take it, but I was never asked,'' he told the court.