Colombia probe: Adams 'still to receive invitation'

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams today said he had an ‘‘open mind’’ over an invitation by a United States congressional committee to give evidence in Washington on what he may have known about the arrest of three Irishmen in Colombia last year.

The House of Representatives International Relations Committee confirmed this week they had written to Sinn Fein urging Mr Adams or his colleagues to testify on the arrests of Martin McCauley, Niall Connolly and James Monaghan in Colombia last August on suspicion of training left-wing FARC guerrillas.

However Mr Adams insisted today that he had not yet received the copy of the letter.

Asked if he was willing to testify, the west Belfast MP said: ‘‘I have an open mind.

‘‘I haven’t even had the time to sit down and think about it nor have I even received a letter.

‘‘So its bad form that the first we hear about this invitation is from The Times in London.

‘‘When I receive the letter, I will consult with colleagues and we will take it from there.’’

The arrest of the three Irishmen in Colombia caused consternation among some supporters of the peace process in the United States who could not understand why Irish Republicans would be associating with Marxist rebels.

The three prisoners have protested their innocence and have accused the Colombian authorities of concocting a case against them.

Last October, Sinn Fein was forced to climb down from its initial denial that one of the men Niall Connolly was the party’s representative in Cuba.

The claim had been made by the Cuban Foreign Ministry in Havana.

James Monaghan was also a former member of the Sinn Fein National Executive.

Last week US Congressman and member of the International Relations Committee William Dellahunt insisted it was essential that they were able to get to the bottom of what the Irishmen were doing in Colombia.

He also insisted that the Committee’s eagerness to get to the truth was in no way an attempt to undermine the peace process in Northern Ireland.

He insisted it was vital that the peace process be allowed to flourish.