What is the former president of Colombia Álvaro Uribe accused of and what sentence could he receive?

For the first time in the history of Colombia A former president was called to trial. On Tuesday, the Attorney General’s Office filed charges against Alvaro Uribe for the alleged crimes of bribing witnesses in criminal proceedings and procedural fraud, in a process that originates in 2012 with a complaint against the left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda and who years later turned against the political leader of the Colombian right.

The accusation was presented by the first delegated prosecutor at the Supreme Court of Justice Gilberto Villarealwho took over the case on January 16.

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“Based on the physical evidence and probative elements collected and studied by the office to which this case corresponded for distribution three months ago, a prosecutor delegated to the supreme court of justice written by accusation against former senator Álvaro Uribe Vélez as a supposed determinant of the crimes of bribery of witnesses and procedural fraud“, indicated the Public Ministry in a statement.

Álvaro Uribe during a statement read on his social networks. (EFE/Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda).

One of the pieces of evidence against Uribe, according to the communications department of the Attorney General’s Office, is the testimony of the former paramilitary Juan Guilherme Monsalvewho has said many times that Diego Cadenaformer lawyer Uribecontacted him to change his statement about the former president’s alleged links with far-right paramilitary groups.

The Public Ministry highlighted that The decision was adopted after several requests for estoppel from various prosecutors. who have been rejected by the criminal justice system.

The decision of the Attorney General’s Office Colombia represents a change of direction in the criminal process since the arrival of the new attorney general, Luz Adriana Camargoin March this year, since under the previous management of Francisco Barbosa The case was requested to be closed.

Camargo She was chosen by the Federal Supreme Court from a list sent by the president Gustavo Pedroformer political opponent of Uribe.

This photograph released by the press office of the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia on March 12, 2024 shows Colombian lawyer Luz Adriana Camargo speaking during an event. (AFP). (FLYER/)

It all started in 2012, when Uribe filed a complaint with the Federal Supreme Court against the left-wing parliamentarian Ivan Cepedawhom he accused of an alleged conspiracy hatched with false witnesses to link him to his brother Santiago Uribe with far-right paramilitary groups, responsible for atrocious human rights violations in their clandestine war against the guerrillas.

But Supreme Court he not only refrained from prosecuting Cepedabut began investigating the former president in 2018. The court suspected that he was Uribe who actually tried to manipulate the witnesses and not his opponent.

This Wednesday, Uribe spoke about the decision of the Attorney General’s Office and said that the judgment to which he will be called It is politically motivated and lacks evidence against it.

“This trial is being carried out due to political presumptions, personal animosities, political revenge, without evidence that allows us to infer that I sought to bribe witnesses or mislead the justice system,” he said. Uribe in a video that was shared on social media.

Uribe denied knowing or having had contact with several criminals named in the casesome of them arrested, to whom the lawyer Chain allegedly contacted to testify against Cepeda.

“I always asked for the truth, I never asked to lie or remain silent,” said Uribe, leader of the Democratic Center party. “I have never involved people in committing crimes, especially people my children’s age,” he added.

It was not known when the trial against Uribe will begin.

According to the newspaper El Colombiano, which interviewed criminal lawyers, The crimes for which Uribe is accused, procedural fraud and bribing witnesses, each carry sentences of six to twelve years in prison.

In addition to deprivation of liberty, those found guilty of these crimes face significant fines and disqualification from holding public office for a considerable period.

While the prescription of the case, Officially, the investigation into Uribe began on October 8, 2019.; From then on, the period of six years is counted, which means that if there is no conviction, the case would be closed on October 8, 2025.

For El Colombiano, this is highly likely to happen, not only because of the delays inherent in trials in the country, but because the case must go through at least two instances to obtain a final decision.

Colombian senator Iván Cepeda speaks during an interview with AFP in his apartment in Bogotá, on December 16, 2022. (Photo by Juan BARRETO/AFP). (JUAN BARRETO/)

On September 7, 2012, Senator Ivan Cepeda held a debate on paramilitarism in the department of Antioquia. The politician presented two statements that pointed to the former president Uribe it’s your brother Santiago Uribe to found the Metro Block of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

After that, Uribe denounced Cepeda before the Supreme Court for the crime of witness tampering It is presented some interviews that were carried out with several prisoners.

Six years later, on February 16, 2018, The case took a turn. The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court He made public an order in which he closed the investigation against Cepeda and ordered Uribe, then senator, be investigated for “witness tampering”.

Between the 21st and 23rd of February 2018, the lawyer Diego Cadenafaced with a possible opening of an investigation against his then client Alvaro Uribeand former deputy Álvaro Hernán Prada, would have scheduled visits to a prison to meet with Juan Guilherme Monsalvea former paramilitary.

Diego Cadena, former lawyer of Álvaro Uribe. (El Tiempo de Colombia, GDA).

During their visits, they would have asked Monsalvé to change your version. The idea, apparently, was for this to be corrected and indicate that it had been manipulated by Cepeda testify against Uribe.

The Colombian claims that Monsalvé is essential in this case, as it is son of the butler of the Guacharacas farm, owned by the Uribe Vélez family. This witness insisted that the former president, together with other paramilitaries, founded the AUC Metro Bloc.

On July 24, 2018, O Supreme Court opened a formal investigation against Uribe. The case began with the alleged attempt by the former president and Prada to influence and pressure Juan Guilherme Monsalve.

On September 15, 2018 It was revealed that the Supreme Court mistakenly intercepted Uribe’s phone. According to the court, the interception was made on the phone that was in a file in the name of former deputy Nilton Córdoba Manyoma, but the number belonged to the former president.

Nilton Córdoba denied having handed over that phone as his. The fact led the Accusations Commission to begin an investigation against the then magistrate José Luis Barceló, who was handling the case.

In the calls, Uribe apparently stated that he was aware of the assembly plan that his collaborators were preparing against Cepeda.

On February 18, 2019, the Special Chamber of Investigations rejected Uribe’s request to nullify the investigation against him. The former president had asked for the process to be closed, arguing that his phone had been illegally intercepted.

Former paramilitary Juan Guillermo Monsalve.

Finally, on October 8, 2019 Uribe was linked to the process formally for the crimes of bribery and procedural fraud.

Almost a year later, on August 4, 2020, the Supreme Court Investigative Chamber ordered house arrest against Uribe.

On August 18, 2020, Uribe announced his resignation as senator. This decision caused the Supreme Court to lose jurisdiction over his case and passed it to the Attorney General’s Office, then led by Francisco Barbosa.

After Uribe was under house arrest for 66 days, October 10, 2020 This measure was revoked.

On March 5, 2021, the prosecutor of the case, Gabriel Jamesrequested the first estoppel of the case against Uribe because, he argued, There was not enough evidence to prosecute the former president.

But April 6, 2022, The court denied the impeachment and ordered the investigation to continue.

The case was passed on to prosecutor Javier Contreras, who also requested a challenge.

On May 23, 2023, Judge Laura Barrera decided not to dismiss the case. She maintained that the Public Prosecutor’s Office did not adequately substantiate the request that sought to close the investigation.

On October 6, 2023, the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Bogotá denied for the third time the Public Prosecutor’s request to close the case; He insisted that there is no evidence to put the former president on trial.

Álvaro Uribe. (AFP).

Source: Elcomercio