Colombia’s State Council requests a disciplinary investigation into the former inspector general, who allegedly ordered the illegal wiretapping of over 50 state officials.
Edgardo Maya Villazon, who stepped down in January 2009, is accused of the illegal surveillance of a range of officials including members of his own ministry and local politicians, RCN Radio reported Monday.
“There are great doubts about the Public Ministry over the legal authority for the operation of the interceptions room, which did not comply with the provisions that the judicial police should adhere to under the new penal system,” said Vice Inspector General Marta Isabel Castañeda Curvelo, who led the proceedings before the State Council.
“The wiretaps were based on Law 600 from [the year] 2000, which was gradually dismantled by the new criminal statute,” she added, explaining that the interceptions were therefore invalid.
There are 37 folders of evidence against Maya, which also include the phone numbers of army and ministry of defense members, while most wiretapping took place without preliminary investigations.
The so-called “interceptions room” ran until February 2009, when it was closed by Maya’s successor Alejandro Ordoñez after having intercepted 421 conversations.
There is also an investigation underway into two former heads of special investigations under Maya’s administration.