The Supreme Court have upheld a judgement regarding a former mayor who diverted public funds to a paramilitary group, reported Elespectador on Thursday.
Matias Oliveros del Villar, formerly Mayor of El Banco, a municipality in the northern department of Magdalena attempted to divert $320,000 dollars of public money to now demobilized paramilitary group AUC.
The criminal activities of the former mayor came to light after an agreement signed with the Ministry of Environment in 2005, which saw the municipality receive $680,000 dollars, intended to cover the liabilities of public service workers.
According to Elespectador, it was the suspicious division of these funds which led to Villar’s arrest.
The mayor was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.
Since 2006, hundreds of politicians have been sentenced for making deals with the AUC, which was determined a terrorist organization by the U.S. until its official demobilization between 2003 and 2006.
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