Support for Colombia’s controversial Inspector General’s re-election

The presidents of the Colombian Senate and House of Representatives announced their support of the re-election of Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez Monday, despite an ongoing investigation into his conduct.

Senate President Juan Manuel Corzo and President of the House of Representatives Simon Gaviria said that despite being investigated for his disciplinary dismissal of Senator Piedad Cordoba in 2010, Ordoñez has done a very good job of fighting corruption in the country.

Corzo said that in principle he would support the re-election of Ordoñez when his four-year term ends later this year, on the basis of his intellectual qualities and legal work.

Gaviria said that though he would need to assess the qualities of each potential candidate at the time of election, Ordoñez would be a good option.

Ordoñez is being investigated by Colombia’s Supreme Court for his decision to ban former senator and peace activist Cordoba from public office for 18 years in October 2010, for alleged ties to FARC guerrillas.

A separate Supreme Court investigation into the role of Ordoñez in an elaborate governmental bribery scandal was dropped in October 2011.

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