The father of the mayor of Colombia’s second largest city Medellin was placed under house arrest for the second time Monday while awaiting trial over his alleged ties to paramilitary organization AUC.
Guillermo Gaviria, owner of local newspaper El Mundo and father of Mayor Anibal Gaviria, is facing charges after former commanders of the now-defunct paramilitary organization accused the prominent businessman from the Antioquia department of having financially supported the AUC.
The 89-year-old suspect has always denied ties to the AUC and has testified before prosecutors he was not willingly financing the paramilitaries, but the victim of extortion.
Gaviria was placed under house arrest in April, but saw the detention lifted a month later.