Millions paid out to false victims of armed conflict

(Photo: Corporacion Compromiso)

Fake beneficiaries of compensation from the false positives scandal have received millions in compensation, by fabricating stories about their victimization by the army.

The false allegations are currently being investigated by the Prosecutor’s office.

The victim’s unit has discovered cases of displacements that never existed and networks that can “make” false victims, in order to receive compensation.

The Victims Unit have noticed at least 2,490 cases of alleged fraudulent acts that could have cost the nation, only in terms of compensation, $17 million.

Colombia’s  “false positives” scandal is centered around the extrajudicial killings of thousands of civilians by members of the armed forces who dressed their victims as guerrillas in order to present them as combat kills.

FACT SHEETFalse positives

According to reports from the legal office, at least 1,054 of these cases are in the preliminary stages and 437 have already been sent to the prosecution.

In the past three years for alleged cheating allegations to law grew by 29 percent, and so far in 2014 there have been 363 irregularities.

Although the figure is low compared to the number of victims of the conflict, which has been recognized at 6.3 million people, the amount of money that has compensated people who had no right to it, has been to the detriment of the real victims. This crime carries between five and eight years in prison.

Sources

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