Colombia’s Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez announced Thursday that former Interior and Justice Minister Sabas Pretelt de la Vega has officially requested that bribery charges against him be dropped.
“This morning the ex-minister filed a nullification request, which is being processed. It will be resolved before the statute of limitation expires,” Ordoñez said.
Pretelt is accused of having bribed former congress members Yidis Medina and Teodolindo Avendaño to approve a constitutional change needed for Uribe’s 2006 re-election run. Both lawmakers have been convicted for accepting bribes from Pretelt and his colleague, former Health Minister Diego Palacio.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos accepted Pretelt de la Vega’s resignation as Colombian ambassador to Rome and controversially replaced him with Andres Felipe Arias, who is also under investigation for corruption.
In late August the Colombian Inspector General’s Office found the former minister guilty of bribery and banned the official from holding public office for twelve years.
On Tuesday the Colombian Prosecutor General’s Office summoned Pretelt de la Vega to trial to face criminal bribery charges.
