Álvaro Uribe’s defense challenges the prosecutor handling his case of ‘bias’

The defense of former president Álvaro Uribe He recused this Monday prosecutor Gilberto Villarrealwho takes his case for the alleged crimes of bribery, procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedingsclaiming “bias“and his relationship with two of the victims of the case.

In the challenge presented, the lawyers justify the decision based on the regulations that provide “situations where prosecutors must declare themselves impeded when there are factors that affect their impartiality in relation to the parties to the process“.

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According to Uribe’s defense, the impartiality of prosecutor Villarreal is “seriously compromised and questioned“because he worked with him former Attorney General Eduardo Montealegre Lynnet and with him Former Deputy Attorney General Jorge Perdomowhen both were in charge of that institution and that they were accepted as victims in this case.

During this time, Villarreal”He was not an official of lower level or little importance, since, on the contrary, he was appointed to positions of special relevance and importance.“.

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“The previous appointments, in important positions within the Prosecutor’s Office during the course of the Montealegre/Perdomo administration, denote that you were a close and completely trusted official towards doctors Montealegre and Perdomo, who were your hierarchical superiors, and now you are postulate as alleged victims in this case, which you are in charge of“added the defense.

The defense, speaking on behalf of Uribe, added about Villarreal: “Your overflowing intervention only denotes that you are not acting in this process in an objective, impartial or serene manner and that, particularly, you do not have a neutral or dispassionate position towards me, but on the contrary, without any modesty, in a light way. , has disqualified me and accused me of other behaviors that show his prejudices against me“.

Alvaro Uribe

Mauricio Moreno / Portfolio

This turn in the case of Uribe, who was president of Colombia between 2002 and 2010, It comes just three days after the Prosecutor’s Office formally accused him in a trial of bribery, procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings.crimes that were accepted by the judge.

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The judge accepted as victims of the case leftist senator Iván Cepedato former prosecutors Montealegre and Perdomo, as well as to Deyanira Gómez, ex-wife of the paramilitary Juan Guillermo Monsalveinvolved in the case.

The long lawsuit dates back to 2012 when Uribe, who was a senator, sued Cepeda for alleged witness tamperingwho at that time was preparing a complaint in Congress against him for alleged links with paramilitarism.

Ivan Cepeda

Iván Cepeda Press

Contrary to what Uribe expected, the Supreme Court of Justice did not open an investigation against Cepeda and, instead, A process was initiated against the former president for witness tampering.

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The bribery accusation has to do with the alleged payment of bribes to Carlos Enrique Vélez and Juan Guillermo Monsalvewho are imprisoned in the Palmira prisons, and La Picota in Bogotá, respectively.

Monsalve, a former paramilitary, assured that there was a whole strategy to approach him and convince him to testify against Cepeda.

Alvaro Uribe

EFE

The former president has been insisting for years that the process against him is politically motivated and lacks evidence.

Prosecutor Villarreal took over the case on January 16 and On April 9, he stated that based on the physical evidence and probative elements, he determined that there were reasons to accuse Uribe..

EFE