The lawyers defending former Presidential Chief of Staff Bernardo Moreno on charges relating to illegal wiretapping are insisting former President Alvaro Uribe give testimony.
The scandal in question broke in 2009, when it was revealed that the now-defunct DAS intelligence agency had been carrying out a campaign of warrantless wiretaps and surveillance targeting political opponents, Supreme Court justices, human rights organizations and journalists.
MORE: DAS wiretapping scandal
“It is important, useful, and adds meaningful value to the defense. It is necessary to be able to listen to Uribe, who at the crucial time, was serving as president of the republic,” defender Jaime Granados said.
MORE: Moreno vows to face justice over wiretap scandal
The scandal, dubbed the Colombian Watergate, implicated numerous high-ranking officials, including Moreno and Uribe. Moreno has been on trial for going on two years now. The former president, though, under ongoing investigation by Congress for his role in the scandal, has never been formally charged with any crime.
MORE: Uribe gave orders during wiretap scandal: Former intelligence executive
The prosecution reportedly disagreed with Moreno’s petition, contending that the court has already refused to hear the former president as a witness.
From President to Senator
The witness call comes at a time when the former-President’s star is once again on the rise.
MORE: Alvaro Uribe, clear winner of Colombia’s 2014 congressional election
On Sunday, Alvaro Uribe was elected to the Colombian Senate, where his Democratic Center (Centro Democratico) party now holds 19 seats. The party also won 12 seats in the House of Representatives in its electoral debut.
Source
Insisten en contar con Uribe como testigo en chuzadas del DAS (Caracol Radio)