Uribe Charged for Fraud, Bribery in Colombia

Uribe, Colombia’s former president, faces charges of fraud and bribery from the country’s Prosecutor’s Office, an unprecedented event in Colombia’s history. The case, which opened in 2018, focuses on accusations that Uribe allegedly tampered with witnesses to secure advantages in his favor, involving claims of procedural fraud and bribery.

Legal proceedings unfold for former President Uribe

The investigation focuses on accusations that Uribe tried to persuade former paramilitaries to alter their testimonies, linking him and his brother to paramilitary groups in Antioquia. These claims originate from efforts over three days in February 2018 to convince former paramilitary witness Juan Guillermo Monsalve to withdraw his statement.

After these incidents, Uribe, who was a senator then, was put under house arrest by the Supreme Court of Justice. He resigned from the Senate, and the case was moved to the Prosecutor’s Office, led by Francisco Barbosa, an ally of the then-President Iván Duque.

Challenges and delays in the legal process against former President Uribe

The legal process faced delays as prosecutors repeatedly sought to preclude the trial, a move that was ultimately denied in October 2023. This decision came after revelations that prosecutors had overlooked key evidence and misrepresented crucial information, casting a shadow over the case’s integrity.

Upon the refusal to dismiss the case, the Prosecutor’s Office, now under the direction of Luz Adriana Camargo, is left with a critical decision: either to press charges or to seek dismissal once more. Opting to advance, the office has affirmed its dedication to adhering to fair legal practices. It highlighted the trial’s importance in a statement detailing the reasons for bringing Uribe to court.

The Prosecutor’s Office has taken a firm stance on ensuring due process. It affirmed that its accusation against Uribe was “based on the physical evidence and the evidentiary material elements collected and studied by the office to which this file corresponded by distribution three months ago.”