Colombia’s Prosecution Friday dropped the parapoliticscharges against former
Colombian minister Alvaro Araujo Noguera for lack of evidence. Araujo Noguera was initially accused of having conspired with paramilitaries
to kidnap a reputed political rival.
Araujo Noguera was arrested in September 2008 for being involved in the kidnapping of his political counterpart Victor Ochoa Daza in January 2002.
Araujo Noguera and his family always denied being responsible for the kidnapping.
The former minister’s lawyer, Galvis Argote, said that Araujo Noguera will leave the La Picota prison in the next couple of hours.