The comptroller of the oil-rich city of Barrancabermeja was arrested Monday on suspicion he had tried extorting the city’s mayor.
The local anti-extortion and kidnapping unit of the police arrested the official when he was receiving 20 million pesos (US$10 thousand) that allegdly came from the city’s mayor.
According to authorities, the comptroller had threatened to carry out investigations into fraud within the local government if the mayor did not come up with money.