'Colombian Three' trial disarray in Bogota

The trial of the three men alleged to have been involved in training Colombian rebels fell into disarray in Bogota today.

With the trial due to recommence on Tuesday December 3, two key witnesses for the prosecution, reported to be FARC deserters, who were lined up to give evidence for the prosecution could not be found. One man, part of a witness protection programme, could not be located and the other was reported to be in hiding in fear of his life.

Lawyers acting for the three men constested that the witness testimony should not now proceed, and the judge eventually suspended the case until February 7.

On Monday the three men, two from the Republic of Ireland and one from Northern Ireland, refused to appear before the Bogota court as they said that they feared for their safety.

Yesterday a Colombian military officer has given evidence claiming that technology used by the FARC rebels could only have come from abroad.

The three men, arrested last year for travelling under false papers, deny charges of training members of the Marxist FARC guerrilla organisation.

Yesterday the presiding Judge Jairo Acosta moved to ban the Colombian media from covering evidence given by witnesses until the trial had concluded. Defence lawyer acting for the three accused said that media coverage meant that the men had already been unfairly tried and convicted by the media.

Judge Acosta denied pressure to return a guilty verdict and maintained that the court was "impermeable" and would only consider the facts as presented in court.

The Colombian prosecution team insists that they have a case against the three men, including forensic evidence and witnesses who will allege they say the men training rebel FARC guerrillas.

The three men Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley were arrested as they got off a plane from the former FARC territory in the south of the country.

(SP)