Any decision on Colombia Three must be examined very carefully

EVEN though many people might like to know what Martin McCauley, Niall Connolly and James Monaghan were doing in Colombia, it should be recalled that, at their first trial, they were found not guilty.

However, not having obtained the verdict the authorities seemed to want, there was a second trial, in which they were found guilty and sentenced to 17 years in a Colombian prison.

That second trial has since been condemned by Senator Mary White who said “the appeal hearing in the case was held in private, with no new evidence and no lawyers”.