Colombia’s ex-President Uribe charged with witness tampering
Al Jazeera
Uribe, who was president from 2002 to 2010, faces up to 12 years in prison for witness tampering and bribing witnesses.
Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been charged with witness tampering and bribery, becoming the first head of the state to face a criminal trial in the Latin American nation.
The charges arise from an investigation into Uribe’s alleged ties to right-wing paramilitary groups. The 71-year-old leader is accused of “offering cash or other benefits” to witnesses to discredit a political opponent who was digging into his family ties to the armed groups.
If convicted, Uribe faces up to 12 years in prison.
Uribe, who was president from 2002 to 2010, has denied any wrongdoing and has accused Colombia’s chief prosecutor’s office of “political vengeance”.
There are wiretapped phone conversations in which the former president can be heard discussing with one of his lawyers efforts to flip two former paramilitary fighters who were set to testify against him. Uribe said his conversations were intercepted illegally.
