Colombia’s Congress asked the country’s Prosecutor General to investigate the campaign team of presidential candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga that has become embroiled in a scandal over illegal wiretapping of ongoing peace talks with rebel group FARC, local media reported on Thursday.
The head of the investigative government body, Eduardo Montealegre, will appear before the Intelligence Committee on Wednesday May 14 to assess the implications of the recent capture of a hacker accused of trying to sabotage the current peace process between the FARC and the Colombian government in Cuba, reported Santa Fe Radio.
Senate President Juan Fernando Cristo, called for the legal Congressional Intelligence Committee to receive the Prosecutor General, and uncover more information on the wiretapping scandal.
On Tuesday, a clandestine wiretapping office was discovered in Bogota which has allegedly been used to intercept communications by delegates taking part in the Cuba peace talks, as well as attempting to hack the emails of high profile figures including President Juan Manuel Santos, and lead FARC peace negotiator Ivan Marquez.
MORE: Another clandestine wiretapping operation discovered in Bogota
The suspect was identified as Andres Sepulveda and was allegedly in possession of classified military intelligence, including information about the government’s ongoing peace negotiations, and lists of demobilized guerrilla combatants.
Soon after his arrest, it was uncovered that Sepulveda had recently been employed by Presidential Candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga’s campaign to assist with “information security.”
The ongoing scandal forced the resignation of Zuluaga’s campaign manager on Wednesday. It was alleged he had been trying to provide classified information obtained through the illegal wiretapping scheme carried out by Sepulveda.
MORE: Zuluaga’s campaign manager resigns over wiretapping scandal
“It saddens, worries and disgusts me, how we have come to know Colombians in the last two days, but I prefer to think that we need to strengthen the institutions and preserve the stability of the country, as the prosecutor himself said that what is is happening undermines national security, ” said Cristo.
The Senate President also emphasized that it is necessary to “trust the Prosecutor so that in a very quick and effective way, Colombians will know what is happening regarding the issue of wiretapping and unmask those responsible.”
Sources
- Congreso citó al Fiscal General por nuevo escándalo de chuzadas (Santa Fe radio)
- Citan a Fiscal en el Congreso por nuevo caso de chuzadas (El Espectador)