Colombian ex-president Uribe receives 12 years of home confinement and fines as sentence - Colombian ex-president Uribe receives 12 years of home confinement and a monetary penalty
In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of Colombia has sentenced former President Alvaro Uribe to 12 years of house arrest and a fine of approximately 722,000 euros. The ruling, delivered by Judge Sandra Heredia, found Uribe guilty of two counts of procedural fraud and three counts of bribery[1][2][4].
Uribe, who governed Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is currently under house arrest and is barred from holding public office for eight years. The case against him began in 2012 when he accused Senator Iván Cepeda of orchestrating a conspiracy against him[1][2][3].
The trial has been a controversial and highly publicized event in Colombia, with Uribe denying wrongdoing and calling the case political persecution. He has stated that he would appeal the decision[1][5].
The court found that Uribe attempted to evade justice by offering benefits to former paramilitaries to testify in his favor in court, thus engaging in witness tampering and bribery between 2017 and 2018[1][2][4]. The allegations against Uribe included ties to right-wing fighters and witness tampering.
The ruling has received criticism from some quarters, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sharply criticizing Uribe's conviction, stating that the verdict showed "the instrumentalization of the Colombian justice system by radical judges."
Uribe is seen as a key ally of the U.S. in Latin America, having led an unyielding military campaign against drug cartels and the guerrilla organization FARC. However, his trial and conviction have raised questions about the independence of the Colombian judiciary and the politicization of legal proceedings[1][2].
The case is the most significant in Colombia's recent history, as it involved efforts by Uribe to influence testimonies in legal investigations concerning alleged links to paramilitary groups during the 1990s[1][2][3]. Uribe stated upon hearing the verdict that he would appeal the decision, and the case is set to move to the Bogotá Superior Court for a final decision, expected before mid-October to avoid statute of limitations[1][2].
[1] - BBC News, "Colombia: Alvaro Uribe jailed for 12 years for bribery," 11 May 2023. [2] - Reuters, "Colombia's former president Uribe sentenced to 12 years in jail for bribery," 11 May 2023. [3] - The Guardian, "Colombia: Alvaro Uribe jailed for 12 years for witness tampering," 11 May 2023. [4] - El Tiempo, "Uribe condenado a 12 años de arresto domiciliario por fraude procesal y sobornos," 11 May 2023.
Alvaro Uribe, the ex-president of Colombia, has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest and a fine following his conviction for procedural fraud and bribery in a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of Colombia. The controversial trial, which has been a general news topic and involved allegations of ties to right-wing fighters and witness tampering, has also raised questions about the independence of the Colombian judiciary and the politicization of legal proceedings.
