Colombia's Congress investigates ex-president Uribe

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Colombia's Congress investigates ex-president Uribe
Published on : 13 October 2010 - 10:21am

The Colombian Congress opened an investigation Tuesday into former president Alvaro Uribe's alleged role in an illegal wiretapping case that has already snared top officials, a senior legislator said.

Uribe ended his 2002-2010 administration on August 7 with sky-high approval ratings, but has been heavily criticized by human rights activists for a series of alleged abuses.

A lower house committee approved opening an investigation into the wiretapping case and "will investigate what responsibility ex-president Alvaro Uribe had in this affair," said the chamber vice president, Orlando Clavijo'.

Uribe said recently he was ready to assume legal and political responsibility for the actions of Bernardo Moreno -- his chief of staff from 2006 to 2010 -- who prosecutors sanctioned for not denouncing a case of illegal espionage by the DAS, Colombia's intelligence service, on opposition judges and reporters.


Read more: http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/colombias-congress-investigates-ex-president-uribe

[Judi Lynn]

1. Former DAS director convicted in wiretapping scandal (Colombia's FBI/CIA)

Former DAS director convicted in wiretapping scandal
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 09:41 Christina Filipovic

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/2010/10/fernando_tabares_das.jpg

The convicted former director of Colombia's intelligence agency DAS has reached a plea agreement which will send him to prison for eight years for his role in the wiretapping scandal, reports El Espectador.

Fernando Tabares received the reduced sentence because of his cooperation in the investigation. He was found guilty of conspiracy charges through "abuse of public office" and "unlawful violations of communications." Tabares accepted the conviction, and apologized to the victims, saying that they targeted judges and opposition leaders for political reasons.

"There were no legal reasons to follow them, we only did it to discredit them," he said.

He pledged to continue cooperation with authorities so that all facts of the case are known.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12354-former-das-director-convicted-wiretapping-scandal.html

(My emphasis.)

[Judi Lynn]

2. Uribe mounts Twitter defense of policies

Uribe mounts Twitter defense of policies
Thursday, 14 October 2010 14:25
Teresa Welsh

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe makes a spirited defense of the policies of his administration via social networking website Twitter.

Uribe's first Tweet in a series of statements said "We avoided allowing the guerrillas and paramilitaries who took the country to turn Colombia into a failing state." He went on to list several achievements of his administration, such as doubling the rate of investment, lifting 6 million people out of poverty, and extraditing 1,140 drug traffickers.

The former president's statements follow the announcement this week that the Colombian House of Representatives is opening an investigation into his involvement in the illegal wiretapping of government critics.

Many officials who served in Uribe's government are currently also being investigated, but Uribe himself has always denied any responsibility for the illegal surveillance.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12385-uribe-defends-policies-twitter.html

[rabs]

3. The investigating committee is packed with uribistas

The lower House commission is called the Comisión de Acusaciones (Accusations Commission). It is packed with uribistas so this smacks of a mere smokescreen.

I predict that the commission will go through the motions, find no merit to the charges and archive the case.

Business as usual in Colombia in regards to the teflon president uribe.