Colombia Three verdict may take months, says judge

The trial of the three Irishmen accused of teaching Marxist rebels in Colombia bomb-making techniques has ended, with the verdict…

The trial of the three Irishmen accused of teaching Marxist rebels in Colombia bomb-making techniques has ended, with the verdict not expected for several months.

Judge Jairo Acosta, who will decide without a jury, warned last night it could take him months to review evidence in the case.

"As the case has run long, the verdict would take months. But I still haven't established an exact time yet," said Dr Acosta, who has presided over the trial since it began late last year.

Mr Niall Connolly, Mr Martin McCauley and Mr Jim Monaghan made their first and only public court appearance on Wednesday, arguing that the prosecution had used false evidence to link them to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

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That included US forensics tests, contradicted by Colombian tests, which showed traces of explosives.

The men, who were arrested in August, 2001 trying to leave Bogota Airport on false passports, said they had met with FARC troops in their stronghold only to learn about ongoing peace talks - not to teach them bomb making.

They also denied being IRA members.

Defence lawyers said their clients only wanted to observe Colombia's now defunct peace process. The FARC lost their safe haven when peace talks with the government collapsed in February 2002.

Prosecutors contend the trio trained FARC members in explosives and terrorist tactics in the FARC's huge safe haven and have asked for the maximum sentence of 20 years for each of the men.