The head of Colombia’s Liberal Party has asked president Santos and the Supreme Court to postpone the extradition of the “missing link” in the stock market crisis, according to local media Wednesday.
Liberal Party chief Simon Gaviria has requested that the extradition of money launderer Carlos Leyton be delayed so that he may testify about alleged links to captured drug lord Daniel ‘El Loco’ Barrera and financial group giant, Interbolsa. Gaviria stated that the extradition of, “Carlos Leyton [be delayed] until he testifies in the cases of Interbolsa and Proyectar Valores.”
Leyton was arrested on November 13 for allegedly laundering $6.6 million and is wanted by authorities in the U.S.
“Leyton could be a key witness and could give shed light [on the] hypothesis… that this international money laundering organization would be at the service of ‘El Loco Barrera’,” claimed Gaviria.
Gaviria believes there may been a criminal triangle with ties between the financial firm “Proyectar Valores”, of which Leyton was business manager, the criminal organization of Barrera, who was recently captured in Venezuela and is also awaiting extradition to the U.S, and to the massive securities broker, Interbolsa.
“Leyton is a man considered key by authorities in the U.S. in an investigation into an international group dedicated to money laundering. Leyton also was linked to the firm Proyectar Valores, which has had close relations with Interbolsa.”
Government regulators effectively shut down InterBolsa, the country’s largest brokerage firm, two weeks ago after it failed to make a payment on an $11 million loan.
It remains to be seen if any concrete evidence emerges linking InterBolsa with the criminal apparatus of “El Loco” Barrera.