Colombian court clears former President Uribe of bribery and fraud charges

A Bogota court has overturned a decision to punish former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who served from 2002 to 2010, finding him innocent in a case of fraud and witness bribery. This was reported by El Tiempo on October 21.

Judge Manuel Antonio Merchant overturned the verdict handed down earlier by Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia, according to which Uribe was convicted of fraud and witness bribery. The ruling stated that serious errors had been made during the investigation, and witness information, such as the testimony of Carlos Henrique Velez, had not been thoroughly checked.

The court also noted that the charges against Uribe based on wiretapping of his phone calls violated his right to privacy. As a result of the more than 700-page ruling, the court recognized that the previous judge's actions were biased and unfounded.

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In August, a Colombian court sentenced Uribe to 12 years of house arrest for procedural fraud and witness bribery. It was noted that he was fined $822,000, and he was also deprived of the right to hold public office for more than eight years. According to the newspaper, the trial lasted 13 years. Uribe became the first Colombian leader to be convicted in a criminal case.

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