The head of Colombia’s National Protection Unit (UNP) announced that he will ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate former legislator of Arauca, Juan Carlos Santamaria, for misinforming Colombian authorities of his alleged kidnapping.
UNP Director Andres Villamizar took to his twitter account on Sunday to denounce Santamaria, explaining that he was going to ask Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office to open-up an investigation surrounding the former state representative’s false allegations of being kidnapped.
“I will ask the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate Mr. Santamaria and the alleged witness to the alleged kidnapping for false accusation. This is no game,” read Villamizar’s tweet.
MORE: Allegedly kidnapped Democratic Center party member found in hotel in Venezuela
Following the announcement that Villamizar was accusing Santamaria of misinforming the authorities, the ex-delegate wrote on his twitter account that he felt intimidated because according to him, he was being tried with no right to defense.
Andres Villamizar responded by assuring that he would be tried by a judge of the Republic who would try him for the charge of false kidnapping that he would interpose before the District Attorney’s Office.
According to Caracol, this was the exchange:
“@AlvaroUribeVel I am being threatened by Santos’ politicians, the head of the UNP @villamizar will try me without giving me the right to a defense.”
“Dear @jcsm2012 no Sir. I am not judging you. You will be tried by a judge of the republic. I am going to denounce you tomorrow before the District Attorney’s Office.”
The ex-delegate of former presidential candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga’s Democratic Center party disappeared on Wednesday night after a State-designated escort left him by the door of his house in Colombia’s northeast state of Arauca as per usual, Colombia’s Caracol Radio reported on Sunday.
A friend of the politician, who informed authorities that Santamaria had been kidnapped, is also under investigation for false accusations.
During the search operation, a person close to the politician gave the authorities information about his presence in a hotel in the Venezuelan region of Tachira.
Santamaria was found to be staying in a hotel in San Cristobal, near the Colombian border.
The name Santamaria, has become well known across the country since an incident with Colombia’s Vice-President German Vargas a few weeks ago, according to Colombian newspaper El Nuevo Heraldo.
During a public appearance with VP Vargas, Santamaria questioned him on the squandering of money given to Colombia’s oil region, to which the Vice-President, after telling him not to interrupt, left, calling him a “gamin” — a word used to describe homeless people. The incident caused Vargas to be attacked on social medial for his “sense of social discrimination.”
Sources
- UNP pide investigar al exdiputado por falso secuestro (Caracol Radio)
- Denuncian aparente secuestro de politico del movimiento uribista en Colombia (El Nuevo Heraldo)