A judge on Monday ordered the three directors of the disgraced Nule Group to await their corruption trial in a Bogota prison.
The judge decided that there is enough evidence against the Nule Group, one of Colombia’s largest construction companies, to warrant the detention of Manuel, Miguel and Guido Nule in the La Picota prison until their trial date.
The three cousins live in Miami but flew to Bogota to face charges of embezzlement by appropriation, fraud, misrepresentation, bribery and conspiracy for their role in the fraudulent awarding of contracts for public works in Colombia’s capital.
Mauricio Galofre, a commercial representative of Nule will also be housed in the prison.
Minister of Interior and Justice, German Vargas Lleras announced the Nules “will be totally isolated from the rest of the prison population,” in response to threats that the cousins allegedly face today.
Nule’s defense is appealing the judge’s decision and asking that the cousins and Galofre remain in the cell in the bunker of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
According to the prosecution, the Nule Group paid off politicians to be granted public grants. One of the main suspects in the scandal is Bogota mayor Samuel Moreno.