Colombia’s prosecutor general on Thursday issued a warrant for the arrest of a Colombian general implicated in the “false demobilization” scandal.
General Suarez Tocarruncho will soon be on trial for his alleged involvement in the false demobilization of a fake guerrilla unit, Cacica Gaitana.
Tocarruncho, along with a group that includes former Colombian Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo, is accused of paying unemployed civilians to train and act like guerrillas and later surrender to authorities.
The prosecutor general did not say if Tocarruncho would be held in jail or on house arrest, but did indicate his actions would be restricted.
The prosecutor general cited Tocarruncho as a flight risk, a danger to society, and said if left free, Tocarruncho had the ability to manipulate the trial.
“According to many witnesses, General Suarez Tocarruncho took advantage of his position and threatened people who could testify,” said the prosecutor general.
Other defendents in the scandal include Restrepo, who fled Colombia in January, and Raul Agudelo Medina, who reportedly plans to plead guilty in a trial scheduled for May 11.