The Supreme Court has called for an investigation into former President Álvaro Uribe’s alleged involvement in wire tapping. Photo: CIAT CC BY-SA 2.0
High court urges investigation into ex-president Álvaro Uribe after two of his former staff handed lengthy jail terms
The Supreme Court has called for an investigation of former President Álvaro Uribe over his alleged role in hundreds of illegal wiretapping cases, after the court handed down jail sentences to two of his former aides.
On April 30, María del Pilar Hurtado, chief of Colombia’s now-defunct intelligence agency DAS from 2007 to 2009, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for her involvement in illegall spying. Uribe’s former chief of staff, Bernardo Moreno, was also given eight years in prison for his role in the scandal.
Hundreds of people, including politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, human rights activists, lawyers and judges had their phones tapped illegally by the DAS.
It is alleged that the information gathered was used to harass Uribe’s opponents, and in some cases, names were passed on to right-wing paramilitary groups.
Uribe, now a senator, has always denied any knowledge of the wiretapping, and says such claims are part of a conspiracy by his opponents to slander him.
Mere hours after the sentencing, the Supreme Court recommended Uribe be investigated as well.
