Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe told the Supreme Court he was “worried and distressed” after contradicting evidence of witness manipulation, journalist Daniel Coronell reported Sunday.
The journalist apparently obtained transcripts from the court’s October 8 hearing and revealed fragments in which Uribe contradicted evidence of the alleged manipulation of witnesses who tie his family to death squads.
Uribe reportedly told magistrate Cesar Reyes about his growing concern after the judge presiding over the case formalized the fraud and bribery charges on the basis of evidence obtained before and during the investigation.
Former President Alvaro Uribe via Semana
If accurate, Reyes’ reported questions about the alleged witness manipulation would give the former president and his defense attorneys plenty to worry about.
The fraud and bribery charges filed by the court alone could result in a prison sentence of between six and eight years in prison.
What’s worse, the testimonies of the witnesses Uribe allegedly tried to bribe add to evidence of alleged crimes that effectively could put Uribe away for life.
Why Colombia’s former president is accused of forming bloodthirsty death squads
Juan Guillermo Monsalve
Juan Guillermo Monsalve is the son of the former caretaker of the Uribe family’s Guacharacas estate and a former member of the Bloque Metro death squad that left 4,000 victims in the Antioquia province.
Monsalve confirmed claims made by former paramilitary commander “Alberto Guerrero” that the former president and his brother Santiago helped found the Bloque Metro when Uribe was governor of Antioquia.
Since Monsalve confirmed these claims in 2011, the former paramilitary has survived two assassination attempts and his wife was forced to flee the country after intimidation attempts.
One of the last living witnesses against Uribe survives two assassination attempts
Uribe’s fixer, mafia lawyer Diego Cadena, was filmed offering judicial benefits to Monsalve in 2018 when the Supreme Court was already investigating Uribe on fraud and bribery charges.
The former president was wiretapped when he told Cadena to offer legal support and seek judicial benefits in an apparent attempt to convince the witness to retract his claim.
Wiretap transcript via Noticias Uno
Supreme Court audio and transcripts indicate Uribe authorized bribery
Despite the evidence, Uribe denied authorizing Cadena to provide legal services to Monsalve.
Court transcript via Semana
“Victor”
In another fragment released by Coronell, Reyes asked about Uribe’s knowledge of the admitted bribery of former paramilitary fighter Carlos Enrique Velez, a.k.a. “Victor,” who admitted to having received bribes from Cadena.
Victor was presumably supposed to discredit “Alberto Guerrero,” a former paramilitary chief who also testified that the Uribe family formed the Bloque Metro.
Victor flipped, however, admitted he was bribed and surrendered evidence of received payments.
Court transcript via Semana
Leaked wiretap transcripts indicate Uribe lied.
Wiretap transcript
During the lunch break, one of Uribe’s defense attorneys apparently informed the former president he had just lied to the court and Uribe asked the magistrate to rectify his initial answer.
Court transcript
In short, Uribe admitted that, apart from paying the witness, the former president knew his fixer provided free legal assistance to Victor.
How Uribe’s fixer tries to avoid Colombia issuing an arrest warrant
Uribe digging his own grave?
If Coronell’s source is accurate — and the renowned journalist’s sources tend to be accurate — Uribe has every reason to be worried and distressed.
The former president has never even tried to deny his family’s ties to the now-defunct Medellin Cartel, but has done everything in his power to prevent being called to trial over his alleged paramilitary ties, and for a good reason.
Uribe may be a talented politician, but his legal strategies have been a series of disasters.
The former president filed slander charges against Guerrero and lost, adding evidence to the pending case over his alleged paramilitary ties.
Uribe then filed witness tampering charges against opposition Senator Ivan Cepeda in 2014. While the court was investigating Cepeda, it found evidence of the former president’s alleged bribery practices.
How Colombia’s former president ended up with one foot in prison
At least one of the witnesses called by the former president’s defense ended up confirming being bribed.
Uribe indicated last month he might retire from politics at the end of his term as senator in 2022, but considering the way things appear to be going in court, the former president may not make it that far.