Colombia’s Inspector General sided with former President Alvaro Uribe on Tuesday, claiming the investigations into witness tampering ought to be transferred to the prosecution.
In its press release, Inspector General Fernando Carrillo referred specifically to the fraud and bribery investigation, leaving a more recent investigation into three massacres and a homicide with the court.
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The court was still deliberating about the request of Uribe’s defense attorney to forward the prosecution or to continue the investigation it has been carrying out since early 2018.
The Inspector General’s Office requested the Special Instruction Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice to transfer the investigation it is carrying out against former Senator Alvaro Uribe for the alleged crimes of bribery in criminal proceedings and procedural fraud, because with the resignation of his seat he lost the competence to continue with the processes related to common crimes.
Inspector General’s Office
According to the Inspector General’s Office, Uribe’s resignation from the Senate made him lose his privilege to be investigated by the Supreme Court, making the investigation a matter of the prosecution.
The court ultimately decides on this decision based on whether the alleged crimes allegedly carried out while enjoying his congressional privilege were related to his position as Senator.
Opposition Senator Ivan Cepeda, the victim of Uribe’s alleged fraud and bribery practices urged the court over the weekend not to transfer the investigation to the notoriously politicized prosecution, claiming Uribe’s position as senator were key to the former president bringing false charges against his rival based on manipulated witness statement
The inspector weighting in is likely to increase tensions between the Supreme Court and Uribe, who has claimed the Supreme Court was violating his rights.
The unprecedented situation is monitored by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges & Lawyers, who said last week that “judicial independence and the separation of powers, essential principles of democracy and the rule of law, includes respect for the decisions of the Supreme Court.”
