Colombian President Santos has appointed his education minister to replace the mayor of the capital Bogota after the official’s suspension over alleged corruption Tuesday.
Minister Maria Fernanda Campo was sworn in Wednesday morning as mayor of Bogota until the party of the troubled Samuel Moreno, the socialist Polo Democratico, has handed in its shortlist of acting mayor candidates until after local elections are held later this year.
“What I want to assure all the Bogota citizens is that in the few days I will be leading the Mayor’s Office the decisions made here will be in the best interest of the bogotanos … Starting now I will talk to the Inspector General to request he give me preventive support so that my decisions are taken with his support and advise,” Campo said.
The three-month suspension of the highly unpopular Moreno comes less than six months before local elections are held in Colombia.
The Bogota mayor, suspected of having enriched himself through fraud and corruption in the granting of public works projects, said Tuesday that he adheres to the inspector general’s decision despite insisting he is innocent of corruption.
The scandal Moreno is suspected of being involved in has already resulted in judicial authorities sending two congressmen (one being Moreno’s brother) to jail and implicating several high officials including the former Transport Minister and ex-comptroller of Bogota.