Colombia’s Supreme Court Tuesday denied allegations its judges were bribed by demobilized paramilitary organization AUC to elect Mario Iguaran as prosecutor general in 2005.
Supreme Court President Camilo Tarquino called the accusations — that were revived after the publication of U.S. diplomatic cables regarding the subject — “preposterous and unthinkable.”
Tarquin stressed that ” the election was carried out transparently” and added that “every time the court is working on something a new controversy arises to deflect attention from the real and important processes.”
On Monday, Iguaran also rejected the allegations and said the alleged bribery was only a rumor.
According to a WikiLeaks cable released by newspaper El Espectador on Sunday, the United States Embassy in 2008 expressed its concern about rumors regarding alleged bribes by paramilitary chief “Macaco” to secure Iguaran’s election.
The reported rumors add to the 2010 testimony of an extradited paramilitary who claimed Macaco paid more than $2.5 million to Supreme Court magistrates to secure Iguaran’s election.
Iguaran was prosecutor general from 2005 to 2009 and one of the leading forces behind the prosecution of politicians with ties to the AUC.