Colombia Three present alibis in Bogota court

Lawyers acting for the three suspected IRA men on trial in Colombia have presented two alibi witnesses.

Lawyers acting for the three suspected IRA men on trial in Colombia have presented two alibi witnesses.

Mr Niall Connolly, Mr James Monaghan, and Mr Martin McCauley were arrested in August 2001 at Bogota airport after allegedly visiting a stronghold of Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

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.

However, today's witnesses refuted Colombian government claims that the men travelled to South America to train rebels in sophisticated bombing tactics.

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The defence is expected to present a forensic expert and a third alibi witness as proceedings continue.

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

Mr O'Sullivan (41) travelled from Ethiopia where he is currently working with Concern.

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

Mr Séan Ó Domhnaill, a Dublin-based psychiatrist who acts as a consultant for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform was then called as a witness for Mr McCauley.

He described him as "a quite man of good health who loved music". Mr Ó Domhnaill said he treated Mr McCauley's wife for mental health problems and said if the defendant had been out of the country for a prolonged period of time he would have noticed.

The three defendants say they were in Colombia at the time of their arrest to observe the peace process between the FARC 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.