Bogota to seek Garda evidence on three

Prosecutors against three Irishmen standing trial in Colombia for the alleged training of guerrillas are to seek evidence from the Garda on the men's alleged links with the IRA.

A Bogota court this week heard that written evidence, which can be used as testimony, will be sought from senior gardaí.

The court also granted the three permission to present the testimony of up to 10 people from Ireland and Britain who would vouch for their good character.

Mr Niall Connolly, Mr Martin McCauley and Mr James Monaghan declined to attend the hearing on Wednesday. Instead, they issued a statement in which they denied the charges and said they were in Colombia to observe the peace process.

A Garda spokesman declined to comment on the prosecutors' request for testimony other than to say it was "not unusual" for mutual assistance to be given under international policing agreements.

A separate request by the prosecutors to present evidence that Colombians had visited the three men in Ireland was rejected by the judge.

The three Irishmen also claimed they could not get a fair trial in Colombia because of the highly political nature of the charges.

"We visited Colombia to get to know the people, the natural beauty and the peace process between President Andres Pastrana and the FARC guerrillas," read the statement, which went on to accuse Mr Pastrana and the current president, Mr Alvaro Uribe, of politicising the case.

"In view of this, it is clear that we will not get a fair trial, taking into account the serious pressure being exerted on the trial judge from the highest authority in the state," the statement read.

Scheduling a public hearing for December 2nd, Judge Jairo Acosta ruled on what evidence could and could not be presented at the trial. He said prosecutors would be allowed to present testimony from former guerrillas who claimed the three men were in Colombia on various occasions and said the men could present alibi evidence disputing the claim.

The three were arrested at Bogota's airport in August 2001 after visiting a rebel stronghold in southern Colombia, where prosecutors claim they trained insurgents in explosives and other weapons techniques.

In their statement, the three men said they supported peace talks in Ireland and hoped the talks in Colombia, which broke down earlier this year, would resume.

"We want our rights guaranteed as enshrined in national and international law. We are Irish citizens and we are requesting our government to send an official legal observer to the trial and to intervene with the Colombian government and the international community to ensure that we receive due process."

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday that the Minister, Mr Cowen, was considering the request but had yet to decide on whether or not such an observer would be sent.

Defence lawyer Mr Pedro Mahecha, said the Bogota government had made scapegoats of the three as its sought favour with the United States.

About a dozen protesters greeted lawyers for the three men as they entered the heavily guarded courthouse. Some of them carried placards reading "Ireland please keep your terrorists home".

Wednesday's hearing was originally set for October 4th but allegations that jail guards beat the men that morning led the judge to postpone the hearing.