Colombian Supreme Court president Augusto Ibañez, said Tuesday that a proposal made by President Alvaro Uribe years ago to dismantle the Superior Council of Justice should be considered, after a clash between the court and the council.
In an interview with Caracol Radio, Ibañez expressed open disagreement with decisions of the Judicial Council, such as its recent decision to revoke a Supreme Court ruling against congresswoman Sandra Arabella Velasquez for the abuse of goevrnment funds for her personal political campaign.
“Many doubted the issue, but today it is absolutely clear to me that it was right,” said the judge, adding that the Supreme Judicial Council is an agency of a political nature and that its rulings could end with the parapolitics cases.
“Seeking to reverse parapolitics trials is an abuse of power. [Support me politically] and I’ll absolve you [in court]. This is the background [of the situation] and God forbid, it could be the end of parapolitics,” Ibañez said.
The Court on Monday ruled to absolve the conviction of Arabella, who had been sentenced by the Court to six years in jail.