More than 20 Colombia military members investigated for espionage: Report

Colombia’s top military intelligence chief along with 21 of his subordinates are being investigated by the Prosecutor General’s Office for illegally spying on ongoing peace talks with rebel group FARC, according to Noticias Uno.

General Mauricio Forero is among 40 military and civilian intelligence officials that will have to present themselves to the Prosecutor General’s office and explain their role in the controversial “Andromedia” program and their relationship with Andres Sepulveda.

MORE: Colombia’s Military Discredited Further, Now Accused of Embezzlement

Sepulveda worked for the election campaign of former President Alvaro Uribe’s Democratic Center party earlier this year and is allegedly responsible for receiving and disseminating classified information.

Of the 22 military officials being investigated, Forero is the only one that has spoken out. The other 21 officials have pledged to remain silent and are being defended by the military’s judicial corp while accused of illegally spying on ongoing peace talks.

The key figure that has unraveled the alleged corruption in the intelligence community is civilian hacker and retired army officer Juan Carlos Mejia who sold information to military intelligence officials.

MORE: ‘Peace talks hacker’ blows whistle, implicates military and Uribe in spy scandal

The government is attempting to see how far corruption in the military intelligence community goes that led to Sepulveda’s access to such confidential information and the leaking of the database containing the information on all of the country’s demobilized population.

Sources

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