Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office has brought charges against Piedad Cordoba following claims from the Public Ministry that the ex-senator had been financing the political campaign of Colombian Ambassador Ricardo Montenegro.
Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez charged Cordoba based on evidence found on computers seized from FARC leader Victor Julio Suarez Rojas, alias “Mono Jojoy.” Allegedly, the digital records contain detailed financial records of Cordoba’s contributions to Montenegro’s political campaign while she still held her position as a senator of the republic, reported El Espectador.
Additionally, the Inspector General’s Office has reportedly obtained the testimony of Venezuelan drug trafficker Walid Makled regarding the details of the campaign scandal. Makled testified that Cordoba operated as the mediator in a campaign to promote Colombian candidates, which he stated had contributed $15,000 to Montenegro’s political campaign.
If proved guilty of contributing money to the candidate’s campaign, Cordoba will be responsible for violating Article 110 of the Political Constitution which prohibits public officers from contributing to the political parties, movements, or candidates, states the Inspector General’s Office’s news bulletin.
However, Cordoba’s lawyer, Luis Guillermo Perez, said Tuesday that there is no validity in the new case against the ex-senator for allegedly collaborating with the FARC and asserts that the charges against her are fueled by “a person who opposes [Cordoba] in a hostile way.”
The Inspector General’s Office will investigate and process the case against the ex-senator.