Colombian drug enforcement authorities have thus far failed to fully obey an order issued by Interior and Justice Minister German Vargas Lleras to remove a potentially corrupt manager from the scandal-racked National Narcotics Office (DNE).
Minister Vargas Lleras said that the Narcotics Policy Council issued an order in April to completely remove manager Aniano Iglesias, currently under investigation for corruption charges, from any position in the DNE, the body which handles goods and assets confiscated from drug traffickers.
However, according to a Tuesday report from El Espectador, DNE Director Juan Carlos Restrepo reported Monday that, although Iglesias has been removed from an asset-handling position, he continues to work in other areas of the organization.
Upon learning of this fact, Vargas Lleras stated that, “Doctor Restrepo gave some explanations, that he [Iglesias] had already retired [the management of] some assets, but had not retired [that of] others (…) It is important to take measures regarding all of the assets that this person managed.”
According to a report from the judicial police branch (DIJIN), Iglesias was Senator Hernan Andrade’s link in the DNE. Senator Andrade is one of a number of congressmen under investigation for charges of involvement in the massive corruption scandal that caused the DNE to be taken over by the government in November of last year.
Meanwhile, Iglesias insisted that the two were not acquainted, stating that, “I have never had coffee with him, nor do I know his cellphone number, not even through third parties; I do not know Senator Andrade and he must be just as surprised as me,” said the DNE manager and lawyer.
