Incarcerated former senator Ciro Ramirez’s falsified community service documents in an attempt to reduce his prison sentence, an investigation has revealed, El Tiempo reported Wednesday.
As part of an inquiry into the early release of several jailed politicians, Colombia’s national prison authority, INPEC, has uncovered evidence that seemingly proves the falsification of certificates produced by Ciro Ramirez as records of his community service.
The certificates Ramirez had produced, in which he claimed to have worked 1,312 hours of work in urban agriculture and 810 hours of study, were aimed at reducing his prison sentence by proving that he had completed community service.
INPEC’s investigation has questioned how he was able to produce certificates for this work in light of the fact that other records from the same day show that he visited a doctor.
Between January 4 and 8, 2010, judges gave Ramirez five days leave from prison to “have medical surgery on some facial lesions.” Ramirez nevertheless submitted community service certificates for January 4, 5 and 6, 2010, each claiming to have worked eight-hour days.
Ramirez also submitted community service certificates for every day in May 2010, even though we was offered 3 days prison leave in May to attend his son’s graduation and care for his ill father. The former president of the Conservative Party even claimed that he had completed full working days while attending hearings during his trial before the Supreme Court.
Following the investigation, in which further inconsistencies were found among other public officials who received reduced sentences, the INPEC report states that special privileges to convicted public officials will be denied in the future.