Several paramilitary leaders with knowledge of the alleged wiretapping of political officials by the former head of Colombia’s now-dismantled security agency and former President Alvaro Uribe’s chief of staff were called to testify in the case.
Supreme Court prosecutor Misael Rodriguez requested the testimony of former paramilitary leaders Salvatore Mancuso, Diego Fernando Murillo, alias “Don Berna,” and Juan Carlos Sierra, alias “El Tuso,” in the case against former Department of Administrative Security (DAS) head Maria del Pilar Hurtado and Uribe’s former head of staff Bernardo Moreno. The ex-AUC members are suspected of having had contact with lawyers who allegedly knew of the orders to wiretap judges.
Moreno’s attorney, Jamie Granados, lobbied for Pilar’s testimony. The move was surprising considering Pilar has been in Panama since seeking political asylum in 2010 at the outset of the wiretapping charges that led to the security agency’s demise. Granados claimed Pilar has evidence that could prove his client’s innocence. Panama denied Colombia’s request to extradite Pilar in February.
Colombia‘s Prosecutor General’s Office asked to submit a document proving that Pilar authorized the payment of an informant to follow ex-senator Piedad Cordoba, according to newspaper El Tiempo. She is accused of paying $10,000 to a photographer to follow Cordoba as she toured Europe in 2010.
The ex-DAS chief and Moreno have also been accused of spying on supreme court judges, former congressman Yiddish Medina and current Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro.
Former DAS operative director, Luz Marina Rodriguez and the former anti-corruption director, Bernardo Murillo Cajamarca were sentenced to six years in prison Friday for their role in the wiretapping scandal.