Lawyers of the families of eleven civilians who disappeared after
the army retook control of the Palace of Justice that had been occupied
by M19 guerrillas is 1985 say retired army colonel Alfonso Plazas Vega
is purposely frustrating the trial against him.
Plazas Vega is on trial, because the victims’ families claim he is responsible for the forced disappearance and murder of their loved ones.
But the retired colonel and his lawyers the past eight months have resorted to all sorts of tricks to frustrate and halt the kidnapping and forced disappearance trial, lawyer Jorge Molano told Caracol Radio.
“He has designated six defense attorneys, has sought to extend the legal terms, has tried to dismiss the judge three times, four times he asked the suspension of the hearings to read the reports and on one occasion he accused the court of conflict of interest before the Supreme Judicial Council,” the lawyer said.
The controversial official is on trial, because in the aftermath of an M19 siege of the Palace of Justice, the army was seen moving away civilians from the scene. These civilians never re-appeared.