Surprise postponement in ‘parapolitics’ case against former Colombia senator
Surprise postponement in parapolitics case against former Colombia senator
Aug 13, 2014 posted by Emil Foget
An ongoing criminal case against a former Colombian senator was postponed after the Supreme Court judge found out his own sister was to deliver the testimony, local media reported on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court judge declared himself incompetent when he was surprised by his sister taking the witness stand in the parapolitics case against former Senator Piedad Zuccardi, according to Colombias El Universal newspaper.
The case was delayed on the same day the Supreme Court had allowed former paramilitary ringleaders to testify if they had any links to the defendant.
The parapolitics case against the former senator has been delayed to September 22.
In 2010, Zuccardi was reported to have fled to Costa Rica where she unsuccessfully sought asylum.
Following Costa Rica, the then-fugitive senator went to Panama, which in 2010 granted political asylum to the former director of Colombias now-defunct intelligence agency DAS, Maria del Pilar Hurtado, while she was being investigated for her role in the illegal wiretapping of Supreme Court justices, congressmen, and presumed critics of former President Alvaro Uribe.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/surprise-impairment-parapolitics-case-former-senator/