Two prosecution witnesses in the case of the "Colombia Three" are to be investigated for possible perjury, by order of the trial judge, Dr Jairo Acosta, reports Deaglán de Bréadún Foreign Affairs Correspondent in Bogota, Colombia
The pair, who claimed to be deserters from the FARC guerrillas, testified in court that they saw the three Irishmen training the rebels in bomb-making techniques.
The attorney general of Colombia, Mr Luis Camilo Osorio, has declared his intention to appeal the verdict on the bomb-making charge and has demanded that the men remain in Colombia until the appeal process is completed.
Meanwhile, amid fears for their safety in jail, negotiations for the release of the three were continuing.
The key point at issue was whether the men could leave the country immediately, if they lodged bail payments set at approximately €5,600 each.
Edwin Giovanny Rodriguez and John Alexander Rodriguez Caviedes were the two main prosecution witnesses in the trial. They each testified to having witnessed the Irishmen giving classes in bomb-making in the so-called demilitarised zone, formerly under the control of the FARC.
Their evidence was disputed by the defence which produced witnesses to testify that they had met and spoken to the accused men, either in Ireland or in Cuba, on the relevant dates.
Dr Acosta rejected the evidence of Mr Rodriguez and Mr Caviedes and found the Irishmen not guilty of training the FARC.
As fuller details of his judgment became available yesterday, it emerged that he had ordered an investigation into Mr Rodriguez and Mr Caviedes for possible false testimony.
The Judge's order comes as a potential embarrassment to the Colombian authorities who have been planning to give specific judicial powers to the armed forces in order to assist them in their fight against rebel elements.
Meanwhile, it remained unclear whether the three Irishmen, James Monaghan (58), Martin McCauley (41) and Niall Connolly (38) would be granted "conditional freedom", in line with the terms of the judge's verdict.
The three men were found guilty of the lesser charge of using false passports and received sentences of varying length: Monaghan, 44 months; McCauley, 36 months; and Connolly, 26 months. They have already been in detention for 31 months.
Judge Acosta has discretion, in principle, to order that they be deported from the country if they each make bail payments of some €5,600 each.
Under Colombian law, prison terms of less than 48 months can, in effect, be suspended and the convicted person or persons released.
The defence lawyers, accompanied by Ms Caitríona Ruane of the Bring Them Home Campaign, were last night trying to ensure this provision of the verdict was implemented as quickly as possible and the men permitted to return home.