At the request of defense attorneys, the arraignment hearing of Luis Carlos Restrepo, who was ex-president Alvaro Uribe’s peace commisioner, was again postponed. According to local media, Restrepo, whose whereabouts since January of last year are unknown, is charged with conspiracy, procedural fraud, misrepresentation, embezzlement and malfeasance.
The former peace commissioner fled the country before he was first set to appear at a hearing over allegations that he was responsible for the false demobilization of a non-existent FARC unit in 2006. He allegedly conspired with a drug trafficker and an ex-guerrilla to pay homeless people to train and act like rebels before turning themselves over to authorities.
If found guilty, the ex-commissioner could face up to 20 years in prison.