Colombia drops arrest warrants for former peace commissioner

Luis Carlos Restrepo (Photo: ADN)

Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has dropped the arrest warrant for the country’s fugitive former peace commissioner who is accused of having faked the demobilization of a non-existent front of rebel group FARC, reported local media Monday.

Former peace commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo, who under former President Alvaro Uribe was responsible for the demobilization of paramilitary organization AUC, has been missing since early 2012 when authorities were preparing his arrest warrant.

Restrepo must respond to accusations he teamed up with a former guerrilla and a drug trafficker to fake the demobilization of the fictitious Cacica La Gaitana fighters unit of the FARC just before the 2006 elections.

According to the prosecution, the former peace commissioner fraudulently sought to improve Uribe’s changes in the elections who were ultimately won with a landslide victory.

In spite of confessions by Restrepo’s alleged fellow-conspirators, the former peace commissioner has always claimed to be the victim of the fraud. Additionally, he has claimed he is being prosecuted for political motives.

MORE: Ex-Paramilitaries Are Trying To Destroy Me: Former Peace Commissioner

Restrepo has justified fleeing from the law because according to him Colombia does not guarantee his right to a fair trial.

Sources

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