The President of Colombia’s Supreme Court, Augusto Ibañez, said Thursday that the testimonies of paramilitaries extradited to the United States could result in more arrests of politicians.
When asked about the possibility that testimonies recently obtained in the United States by auxiliary judges could implicate further leaders in parapolitics, Ibañez left the option open, saying that the paramilitaries’ statements are already being analyzed, reported newspaper El Espectador.
“We are evaluating the issue and if we reach any conclusions, of course we will take the appropriate action,” the judge said.
He reiterated that the Court will continue conducting such interviews with extradited paramilitaries in the United States, building the good relations that have been woven with the administrators of justice agencies between the two countries.
Colombia’s Inspector General, Alejandro Ordoñez, threatened to take action against the Supreme Court for conducting the interviews without representatives for the Prosecutor’s Office present.
However, Supreme Court sources have admitted that the extradited paramilitaries are right to present objections against the implementation of the Justice and Peace Law, especially regarding the recognition of crimes, as in some cases there are more than 10,000 crimes listed.
Thus the Prosecution has been urged to revise the issue and try to reconsider, as conditions are not specified regarding cash compensation to victims.
The remarks follow the visit of auxiliary judges to the United States, where they met six of the extradited paramilitaries, among them Victor Patino Fomeque, a former member of the Cali cartel.