Convicted Irishmen in Columbia missing (or disappeared?)

[bin.dare]

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2004/1217/breaking8.htm

The attorney general of Colombia has claimed the three Irishmen convicted of training Farc guerrillas in the South American country are at large outside its borders.
"Unfortunately, we know they left the country but we will try to find out what country has received them in order to see that justice is done," Mr Osorio told Reuters.


There was surprise in Irish Government circles yesterday when a Colombian court overturned a previous decision to aqcuit the men and sentenced Jim Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley to 17 years in prison on charges they were Irish Republican Army members who gave bomb-making lessons to the Farc rebel group.

...

The trio had been thought to be hiding in Colombia pending the prosecution's appeal against their acquittal. They said they feared reprisals from Colombia's far-right paramilitary groups - known for killing rebel sympathisers.

...

[bin.dare]

1. follow up ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/Story/0,2763,1376618,00.html

Sinn Féin members were last night on their way to Colombia as Interpol joined in the hunt for three men linked to the IRA who are on the run from police.

Officials in Bogotá said yesterday Niall Connolly, 38, James Monaghan, 58, and Michael McCauley, 41, who were sentenced by the appeal court on Thursday to 17 years in jail for training Marxist rebels in Colombia, had fled the country. Luis Camilio Osorio, the attorney general, asked for international cooperation to help find them.

...

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Fugitive IRA man 'aided Colombia escape'

An IRA fugitive on the run for the killing of Garda Jerry McCabe helped three Irish republicans escape from Colombia, it was suggested last night.

Cork-born Paul Damery is one of two men still wanted in connection with the McCabe killing in 1996. Now security forces on both sides of the Irish border believe Damery aided the escape of James Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley, the trio sentenced to 17 years each by a Colombian judge on Thursday.

The three men left Colombia via Venezuela from a safe house they were living in several weeks before the judge overturned an earlier decision that they were not guilty of training narco-terrorist group Farc.

Damery, whose wife is Venezuelan, is thought to have helped plan the three republicans' escape and they are now believed to be in Cuba.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1376946,00.html

[bin.dare]

3. "it was suggested" , suggested by whom ?

"Damery is thought to have helped plan ..", thought by whom ?
"now believed to be in Cuba", believed by whom ?

This is a typical piece of Observer fluff.

From the Irish Times today,
Aherne said:
"I think people felt the judge on the first hearing was a reasonably fair person," he said. "Then you go on an appeal and you end up getting 17 years so on the face of it that looks very difficult."

Sinn Féin MEP Ms Mary Lou McDonald said a decision was made at a political level in Colombia that the ruling would be appealed. "It was not a public process. It involved three judges sitting privately over a period of six months and then delivering a judgement," she said.

[seemslikeadream]

4. Irish govt make plea to Columbia

WEDNESDAY 19/05/2004 17:14:23
Irish govt make plea to Columbia

The Irish government has sent official letters to Colombian authorities urging them to allow three Irishmen to return home, it was confirmed today.
By ress Association

Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley have been told they cannot leave the country until an appeal against their convictions is heard.

They were found guilty in a Bogota court last month of travelling on false passports but cleared of training Marxist Farc rebels.
The Colombia Attorney General`s office is appealing the not guilty verdicts on the terrorism charges.

Brian Cowen, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, said both he and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had sent personal messages to the Colombian president and foreign minister calling for the men to be allowed home.

more
http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=45871&pt=n

Colombia Three in grave danger, says McGuinness
14/05/2004 - 17:27:39

Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, has claimed the lives of the Columbia Three are in grave danger.

Mr McGuinness has called on the Government to intervene to ensure the men get home safely while they await their appeal.

His fear is that Martin McCauley, Niall Connolly and Jim Monaghan may have to wait several years while awaiting the Prosecution Appeal process.

http://212.2.162.45/news/story.asp?j=140237100&p=y4xz38...


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