MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Three IRA members convicted in Colombia flee to Ireland

Three alleged IRA members who fled Colombia after being convicted of training leftist guerrillas in bomb-making are back in the Republic of Ireland, the country's RTE network reported Friday.

One of the fugitives, Jim Monaghan, said in interview with RTE that they had arrived in Eire a few days ago thanks to the help of "a lot of people".

Martin McAuley, Niall Connolly and Monaghan were arrested at Bogotá airport in August 2001 on their way to Paris after visiting a region in southern Colombia that was considered a stronghold of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The Irishmen, charged with working with the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and training Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas in terrorist tactics, were held in a Bogotá jail until April 2004, when a judge acquitted them, though ordering them to remain in Colombia.

Nevertheless, on prosecutors' appeal, a higher court convicted them in December 2004 and sentenced them to 17 years in prison each. By then, the three men had disappeared.

According to RTE, Monaghan told an interviewer that he does not consider himself "a fugitive" and will not hide from police.

He also trusts that the Irish government will not prevent him and his companions from staying in the country or turn them over to Colombian authorities.

A spokesman for Ireland's Justice Ministry said the government was aware the men were in the country, though he declined to comment further.

Though Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Colombia, the Irish courts will weigh their options if that country does request their arrest and return, the spokesman said.

The British government, for its part, said it would honour extradition requests if the men set foot in the U.K.

Photo: L_R James Monaghan; Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly