All references to Social Welfare Minister Diego Palacio must be deleted
from the verdict against former congresswoman Yidis Medina, the Supreme
Judicial Council ruled Wednesday.
According to the highest judicial council, the verdict of Medina stays in tact and she continues to be convicted for bribery. The parts of her statement wherein she refers to the current Social Welfare minister as one of the people who bribed her must be deleted from the verdict though.
The minister had appealed the sentence, because he claimed he was convicted together with Medina for his alleged part in the bribery, while he still is under investigation by the Prosecution.
The Supreme Judicial Council agreed with the minister and ruled the Court had “falsely accused” Palacio and must delete his name from the official verdict.
The minister is suspected of having bribed the former congresswoman for a constitutional vote needed for President Álvaro Uribe’s re-election in 2006. The former congresswoman has already been convicted, but investigations against some (former) members of the Uribe administration are still pending.