Former President Alvaro Uribe confirmed on Monday that the directors of the disgraced construction conglomerate, the Nule Group, visited the presidential palace during his eight years in power.
In a release through his personal website, Uribe printed a copy of an email sent to the director of W Radio in which he says that he received members of the Nule Group “with decency and honor as I did with thousands of citizens that in those eight years requested an appointment or phone call.”
Expanding on the email, Uribe added that he received at least 600,000 people in the presidential palace, the Casa de Nariño, during his eight years thanks to his policy of proceeding with an open government that was decent and transparent.
With regards to the April meeting of 2010 that took place two months after the corruption scandal broke over public works contracts in Bogota, Uribe said that it was conducted “in broad daylight and with appropriate public records of entry and exit, to address issues of general interest, such as the obligation of the government.”
News that the Nule Group made 20 visits to the Casa de Nariño came to light on Monday. While the nature of the meetings and what was discussed remains unknown, the very fact that their visits took place now seems to be less controversial after Uribe’s comments.
The Nule Group have come under intense scrutiny in the last few weeks for supposedly filing for bankruptcy under false pretences in order to sue the Colombian state for $265 million in damages.
On Monday they were sent to La Picota prison in Bogota on Monday while they await their corruption trial.