The Criminal Chamber of Colombia’s Constitutional Court rejected the overturning of controversial ex-Senator Piedad Cordoba’s 18 year ban from public office in a 6 – 2 vote, reports local media.
The court ruled that Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez has the power to ban people from office, and to do that, possesses the power to watch what Congressmen are doing while in office, taking the required action should one behave illegally, according to national newspaper El Espectador.
According to the Inspector General’s ruling, Cordoba was removed and banned from office because she overstepped her boundaries when dealing with the liberation of several hostages that were held by the FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group.
In addition, evidence was introduced from the computers of slain guerrilla leader Raul Reyes that Cordoba had close connections to the FARC, according to national news magazine Semana.
MORE: State Council upholds Piedad Cordoba’s ban from politics
According to Semana, Cordoba could take the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCR) to have the Colombian court’s ruling overturned. Embattled Bogota mayor, Gustavo Petro, took his case to the IAHCR and emerged victorious, being given back his position as mayor after being removed and banned from office by the inspector general.
MORE: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights celebrates reinstatement of Bogota mayor
Piedad Cordoba, formerly of the Liberal Party and from the northern state of Antioquia, was banned for having illegal connections with the FARC in 2010. Cordoba claimed that the inspector general did not have the “moral authority” to get rid of her. She was replaced by Lidio Garcia.
MORE: 10% of Colombia’s 2010-2014 Congress kicked out of office