Colombia's Uribe calls witness tampering case against him political revenge
Uribe, who was president from 2002 to 2010 and oversaw a military offensive against leftist guerrilla groups, is being investigated along with several allies over allegations of witness tampering carried out in an attempt to discredit accusations he had ties to right-wing paramilitaries. The first Colombian ex-president to face a trial under the country's regular justice system, Uribe has always maintained his innocence.
Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said on Wednesday there was no proof to back up charges that he engaged in fraud and witness tampering, calling the long-running legal case against him political revenge.
Uribe made his remarks a day after the Colombian attorney general's office said it had presented a written accusation in the case to the Supreme Court. The right-wing politician could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted in a trial. Uribe, who was president from 2002 to 2010 and oversaw a military offensive against leftist guerrilla groups, is being investigated along with several allies over allegations of witness tampering carried out in an attempt to discredit accusations he had ties to right-wing paramilitaries.
The first Colombian ex-president to face a trial under the country's regular justice system, Uribe has always maintained his innocence. "The trial is being carried out for political persecution, for personal condemnation, for political revenge, without proof that I sought to bribe witnesses or deceive justice," he said in a social media broadcast, denying connections to right-wing paramilitaries.
"They are opening the doors of the jail without proof," the 71-year-old former leader said. Judges have twice rejected requests by prosecutors to shelve the case, which stems from Uribe's allegation in 2012 that leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda had orchestrated a plot to tie him to paramilitaries.
The Supreme Court said Cepeda had collected information from former fighters as part of his work and had not paid or pressured former paramilitaries. Instead, the court said it was Uribe and his allies who pressured witnesses.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- READ MORE ON:
- Ivan
- Colombian
- Cepeda
- The Supreme Court
- Uribe
- Alvaro Uribe
ALSO READ
Tens of thousands of Colombians protest against the leftist president's reform agenda
Thousands of Colombians protest Petro's economic, social reforms
Russian Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov detained for allegedly taking bribe
White House's Sullivan expects to travel to Saudi Arabia in next few weeks
Georgia's Ivanishvili lashes out at West amid 'foreign agent' bill crisis