Colombia’s Prosecutor General is threatening to exclude former
paramilitary leader ‘Ernesto Baez’ as beneficiary of the country’s
Justice and Peace law. He will be sentenced under common criminal law if he
does not confess twenty crimes he is accused of.
The former paramilitary leader has been taken part in Colombia’s Justice and Peace program for nearly two and a half years. Within the program ‘Baez’can count on reduced sentencing if he collaborates with justice, confesses his crimes and compensates his victims.
But according to the Prosecutor General, Baez structurally denies crimes of which the PG is convinced he is guilty of. The paramilitary head says he doesn’t remember and insists he never took part in the AUC’s armed battle, but confined himself to the political activities of the group.
Wednesday, prosecutor Ivan Ariza will add another seven charges to the thirteen ‘Baez’ is already accused of. If the paramilitary leader continues to deny the murders he is accused of, he will be tried under common law.