Diego Cadena, Álvaro Uribe’s former lawyer, is released due to expiration of terms

A court of Colombia released due to expiration of terms to Diego chain, former lawyer of the former president Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), which is being investigated for manipulation and bribery of witnesses in the judicial process that concerns the former president.

“The freedom that is decreed from the lord Diego chain by a judge does not obey in any way a judicial acquittal”, Said the senator Ivan Cepeda, who is a victim in the case of Uribe.

Cepeda assured, in a recorded statement, that it is “a decision that obeys a process of expiration of judicial terms, but has nothing to do with anything of substance or with a judicial acquittal of that type.”

Judge 26 of guarantees considered that Cadena exceeded the time established by law to remain in detention, since 386 days have elapsed since the indictment was presented and the oral trial has not started, despite the fact that more than the 240 legal days.

“We hope that the accused is not going to escape as has happened on other occasions when it comes to people close to former senator Álvaro Uribe”, expressed Cepeda.

Chain is being investigated for the same case that is being investigated Uribe, who was president of Colombia in two periods between 2002 and 2010, and he is accused of allegedly having manipulated witnesses in favor of his client.

Justice had denied last June the freedom to Chain because it considered that even though the terms had expired, the defense made requests that have led “to unjustifiably extend the preparatory hearing.”

However, this Wednesday another court that was studying an appeal from the defense of Chain he considered the opposite.

THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CHAIN

Chain, a criminal lawyer who was part of Uribe’s legal team, was charged by the Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly visiting several former paramilitaries in the country’s prisons, including Carlos Enrique Vélez, to whom he allegedly gave money to change his testimony in favor of the former president.

The lawyer, known for having defended drug traffickers, has accepted that he did give money to Vélez, but assures that it was not a bribe but rather “humanitarian aid”, and insists that he was extorted by the former paramilitary.

According to Uribe’s defense, the former president was never aware of the deals he made Chain.

Last March, the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office requested the preclusion of the case against former President Uribe for alleged procedural fraud and bribery of witnesses, considering that the conduct with which he was linked “does not have the character of a crime.”

At this time, the Uribe case is held by Judge 28 of Knowledge of Bogotá while other judicial instances decide whether or not to accept the accreditation of two other victims in the process.

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