Colombia’s Inspector General’s Office dismissed and barred Bogota’s Governmental Secretary from holding office for 12 years after he was found guilty of a conflict of interests violation, local media reported on Tuesday.
According to the Inspector General’s Office, Guillermo Asprilla held a council seat while he still technically represented families who, fifteen years earlier, filed a class action lawsuit against the government for damages resulting from the collapse of the Doña Juana landfill.
“There is no doubt that Guillermo Asprilla was aware that his position as attorney for a class action lawsuit against the district capital [of Bogota] made him unsuitable for the position of public office,” claimed the Inspector General’s Office.
Councilor Angelica Lozano said the ruling comes as “a tremendous blow to the government of [Bogota Mayor Gustavo] Petro.”
Asprilla and Petro have been friends for over 20 years and their relationship goes all the way back to their days with the M-19 guerrillas.
In 2007, the State Council ordered the government to pay approximately $126 million to 2,000 people affected by the Doña Juana disaster.