The Director of Public Prosecutions is to decide whether one of the "Colombia Three", Niall Connolly, is to be charged with passport offences after gardaí released him just after midnight following 12 hours of questioning. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports.
The three men who fled Colombia after receiving 17 year sentences for training Farc terrorists turned up for pre-arranged interviews with gardaí yesterday.
Martin McAuley and James Monaghan, spent some seven hours voluntarily being interviewed by gardaí before leaving Kilmainham and Terenure Garda stations.
The third, Connolly, was arrested shortly after arriving at Harcourt Terrace Garda station and questioned, it is believed, in relation to the alleged obtaining of a false passport in Dublin several years ago. Gardaí released him and are to send a file on the matter to the DPP for consideration as to whether charges should be preferred.
McCauley and Monaghan remained voluntarily at Kilmainham and Terenure Garda stations until close to 7pm . All three were convicted in Colombia of using false passports in 2001. Connolly was travelling on an Irish passport while McCauley and Monaghan had UK passports.
The men's choreographed appearances at Garda stations appears to have taken the Government by surprise, just as their announcement did that they had returned to Ireland earlier this month.
The three jumped bail in Colombia late last year having been convicted on appeal of training Farc terrorists and sentenced to 17 years in jail.
It is believed that no one in Government knew before yesterday morning of the arrangements made between the Garda and the men for them to attend at the stations. A spokesman for the Minister for Justice said Michael McDowell had asked the Garda yesterday for a report on issues relating to the men.
The Minister arrived home from a holiday abroad on Wednesday night and was told yesterday morning that the men had arranged to meet gardaí. "This is a Garda operational matter but the Minister is being kept briefed on developments," his spokesman said. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is not believed to have known of the imminent development until yesterday, but no confirmation of this could be obtained last night.
Gardaí first held Connolly for six hours yesterday before extending his period of detention shortly after 6pm for a maximum of a further six hours. They were therefore obliged either to release or charge him shortly after midnight at the latest.
James Monaghan left Terenure station before 7pm yesterday after talking to detectives for close to seven hours. Martin McCauley left Kilmainham station shortly afterwards. Neither made any comment.
Neither the Garda nor the group which campaigns for the men, the Bring Them Home campaign, would say yesterday when the appointments with gardaí had been made.
A Garda spokesman said yesterday that it was "maintaining liaison with the State's law officers" and that this was "normal practice".