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31 July, 2003

The three Irishmen on trial in Colombia made a surprise appearance in court for the first time in their trial on Wednesday as the lengthy proceedings draw to a close. They vehemently protested their innocence of training FARC guerillas, reasserting their position that they had been in Colombia, like many other international visitors, to observe the peace process.

Declarations from Colombia 3

The following are edited versions of the statements made to the court by each of the three Irishmen in Bogota.

Kelly murder case reopened - Family reject new probe and demand independent review

The family of an independent nationalist councillor, Patrick Kelly, who was assassinated 29 years ago, have said they will not cooperate with a new PSNI inquiry and are demanding an independent judicial review into the killing.

Senior UUP member in electoral corruption probe

The Chief Executive of the Ulster Unionist Party has been arrested and questioned by the PSNI in connection with serious offences within the north's Electoral Office. Alastair Patterson (57) is one of three former Electoral Office employees being questioned in relation to allegations of forgery, false accounting and corruption.

Adams calls for election date on US visit

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP arrived in New York on Tuesday night, where he continued to press the message that the British government "has to set a date certain for the elections".

Human Rights Commission broken and in need of fixing

Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness MP on Wednesday morning led a party delegation to meet with the Human Rights Commission. The delegation included Human Rights spokesperson Bairbre de Brún and Belfast Councillor Chrissie McAuley.

Loyalists up the ante

The relative calm experienced by nationalist communities during the loyalist Twelfth marching period came to a shuddering end over the last seven days as loyalist gangs attacked Catholic homes in the Stiles estate in Antrim, threatened a teenage Catholic girl in Dunmurry by putting a gun to her head and torched a Catholic church outside Magherafelt in County Derry.

MARCH AND RALLY AGAINST COLLUSION

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams last Thursday spoke at a news conference at which he urged people to take part in the march and rally against collusion on 10 August. He said: "Collusion between British state forces and unionist death squads has been a consistent feature of the Six-County state since its creation.

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