One of the chief prosecution witnesses in the case against three Irishmen accused of training Colombian rebels in IRA techniques refused to testify today because he said he feared for his life.
One of the chief prosecution witnesses in the case against three Irishmen accused of training Colombian rebels in IRA techniques refused to testify today because he said he feared for his life.
Mr Edwin Giovanny Rodriguez, a jailed member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, appeared in the Bogota court in a bullet-proof vest surrounded by almost a dozen armed guards.
He said he would not testify unless he and his son were put in a witness protection programme. The judge ordered both be placed under protection and said he could testify on Friday.
Mr James Monaghan, Mr Niall Connolly and Mr Martin McCauley were arrested in August 2001 at Bogota's airport after visiting a FARC stronghold where prosecutors say they trained insurgents in explosives and other techniques.
Prosecutors continued with their case today, putting the army captain who arrested the three men on the stand.
Captain Huber Pulido said an anonymous informant began calling him in May 2001, saying there were was a group of foreigners, possibly Irishmen, staying in the rebel strong hold and training the rebels there. The calls continued, until August, 2001, when the caller, who was never identified, said the men were headed to Bogota, where Captain Pulido arrested them.
It was still unclear today if one of the other key witnesses would testify.
The three suspects, who were travelling on false passports, insist they were in Colombia to observe the peace process between former President Andres Pastrana and the FARC.