‘Tasmania’ withdraws accusations against judge

The former paramilitary had earlier stated Uribe had ordered the murder of ‘Rene’, a paramilitary boss in Antioquia, a statement he later said he was forced to make by judge Iván Velásquez.The statement caused serious tensions between the Presidency and the Court, after ‘Tasmania’ sent a letter to the President, accusing the judge of bribery. Judge Velásquez fiercely denied the accusation and announced a criminal investigation.’Tasmania’, whose real name is José Orlando Moncada Zapata, retracted his statement after Velásquez, authorized by the Court and prison authorities, visited the paramilitary in his jail cell.The Prosecution is now waiting for a corrected version of the paramilitary’s confessions.