The Presidency organized the issuing of notaries to people connected to Congressmen who voted in favor of Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe's 2006 re-election, the former Superintendent of Notary and Registry told
the Supreme Court of Justice.
Manuel Cuello Baute told the Court that ex Minister for Justice and the Interior Sabas Pretelt de la Vega, his vice-Minister Hernando Angarita, Presidential secretary Bernardo Moreno, and Presidential Advisers Juan David Ortega and Maria Claudia Salgado were in charge of the operation.
Cuello Baute alleges that Uribe was aware of the operation, which reportedly began on August 31 2006, El Espectador reported Wednesday.
Colombian media previously reported that Cuello Baute had named Congressmen who had received notaries after voting in favor of the re-election, some of whom changed their vote from 'against' to 'in favor of'.
This is the first time that the issuing of notaries has been directly and publicly linked to the Presidency.
Former Congressman Teodolindo Avendaño was sentenced to eight years house arrest in June for not voting on the 2006 re-election of President Alvaro Uribe in exchange for a notary office.
A second senator, Yidis Medina, was also sentenced to house arrest for having voted in favor of the proposal after having been promised political favors by government officials.
Cuello Baute said he did not denounce the situation at the time out of fear of power government figures.
Uribe had not yet commented.
