The conviction of a former Liberal Party senator triggered criminal investigations into six members of Colombia’s Congress.
The criminal investigations also implicate at least six mayors, the former deputy director of the government’s public investment agencies and the senate’s former human resources chief.
The aforementioned officials and former officials allegedly teamed up with convicted former Senator Mario Castaño in order to receive kickbacks for investments made by the government of former President Ivan Duque.
The Supreme Court last week indicted Senator Ciro Ramirez for allegedly splitting $240 million (COP1 billion) that was meant for public investment projects with the former director of State investment agency Prosperidad Social, Pierre Eugenio Garcia.
The court’s investigation also included the testimony of new key witnesses, who told the court that five more senators teamed up with Castaño’s organized crime group.
Suspected senators
- Juan Felipe Lemus (U Party)
- Juan Samy Merheg (Conservative Party)
- Miguel Angel Barreto (Conservative Party)
- Carlos Abraham Jimenez (Radical Change)
- Carlos Fernando Motoa (Radical Change)
The kickbacks for Ramirez and Garcia were allegedly paid by businesses who had been given contracts that came from the government’s peace investment fund.
Colombia’s first lady, slush funds and organized crime
While the Supreme Court only investigates privileged suspects like members of Congress, the prosecution focused on investigating regular suspects
The senate’s former human resources chief, Ruben Dario Iregui, last week was indicted on corruption charges for paying no-show salaries to members of Castaño’s kick-back mafia.
The prosecution had already charged six mayors for allegedly making the payments to businesses that were used for the politicians’ slush funds.
The Supreme Court sentenced Castaño to more than 15 years in prison earlier this year, after the former senator came to a plea agreement and admitted guilt to the corruption charges.
