Witness lying, says 'Colombia 3' lawyer
A lawyer for three Irishmen accused of helping Colombian rebels has accused a key prosecution witness of lying.
This follows the evidence of a former Colombian rebel has told a court in Medellin that three men accused of training FARC rebels showed him how to build bombs and fire rocket launchers.
John Alexander Rodriguez, 19, said he saw the defendants on three separate occasions in a rebel safe haven in 1998 and 1999.
James Monaghan, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley were arrested in August 2001 at Bogota airport after visiting the stronghold of Colombia’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Rodriguez told the court in Colombia’s second-largest city that he first met the men at San Vicente del Caguan airport, where he was sent to pick them up.
He said he attended various courses they taught on how to build and deactivate bombs. He said the three also brought rocket launchers in early 1999 and then gave classes on how to use them.
Rodriguez, who said he deserted FARC in 2000, did not identify the suspects by name, but said he saw them at a Bogota military base after they were arrested.
In earlier testimony before the trial, Rodriguez had said he saw the defendants on television, not at the military base.
“He is lying,” defence lawyer Jose Luis Velasco said. “All of his versions contradict one other.”
In response to reporter’s questions about the contradictions in Rodriguez’s testimony, prosecutor Carlos Sanchez said that the witness is a peasant who never had a formal education.
Rodriguez said he has a video-tape and photographs to prove the men were training the rebels in the zone.
“I want to tell the prosecutor that I have evidence if he is interested,” he said. “The only thing I am asking for is more protection on my life.”
Velasco, a lawyer representing McCauley, doubted the existence of the tape and photos.
“If that is the case, it seems strange to me that he did not bring them today,” Velasco said.
Earlier this year, jailed FARC rebel Edwin Giovanny Rodriguez also testified that he saw the three foreigners testing weapons and training rebels in the stronghold in February 2001.
The three men insist they were in Colombia to observe the peace process between then President Andres Pastrana and the FARC.
Each could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. The trial resumes on March 25.
