IRA suspects present alibi witnesses to Bogota court

Lawyers for three suspected IRA men on trial in Colombia presented two alibi witnesses to refute government claims that they travelled to the South American nation to train rebels in sophisticated bombing tactics.

The defence was expected to present a forensic expert and a third alibi witness in a Bogota court today.

The first alibi witness, Ros O’Sullivan, an Irish aid worker, testified yesterday that he visited Niall Connolly in Cuba when the government claims he was in the Colombian jungles.

Connolly, James Monaghan, and Martin McCauley were arrested in August 2001 at Bogota’s airport after visiting a stronghold of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Two rebel deserters have testified they saw the three men in the rebel safe haven on various dates conducting training classes in explosives techniques and testing weapons.

O’Sullivan submitted a photo that he said was a Christmas dinner with Connolly in Cuba, as well as plane tickets showing that he was in Cuba when one of the rebels said Connolly was in Colombia.

Connolly lived in Cuba for several years, where he served as the Latin American representative for Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, party leaders have acknowledged.

Monaghan is an IRA veteran who was convicted in 1971 for possessing explosives and conspiring to cause explosions.

McCauley was wounded during a police ambush at an IRA arms dump in 1982 and was later convicted of weapons possession.

They say they were in Colombia at the time of their arrest to observe the peace process between the rebels and the government.

Each could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Hearings in the case are expected to continue through the end of the week.