The Colombian Prosecutor’s Office summoned former presidential advisor for the Regions Sandra Ortiz to a hearing to charge charges, implicated in the corruption case in the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD)as allegedly responsible for the crimes of money laundering and influence peddling, the prosecuting body reported this Friday.
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“A few minutes ago, the Prosecutor’s Office filed a request for an indictment hearing against the former presidential advisor for the Regions, Sandra Liliana Ortiz Nova, as allegedly responsible for the crimes of money laundering and influence peddling. The hearing will take place next Friday, the 29th. November”The Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. In addition, the accusing body will also request in this hearing the imposition “of deprivation of liberty security measure”.
The corruption scandal in the UNGRD, an organization that is responsible for attending to and preventing emergencies caused by natural disasters in the country, It was uncovered by the press last February and since then it has grown to reach high-ranking government officials.. Among those identified is the Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla, who according to the Prosecutor’s Office was decisive, in coordination with the former director of the UNGRD Olmedo López for the award of three contracts for 92,000 million pesos (about 20.7 million dollars).
According to the investigation, the two officials allegedly sought to benefit five congressmen and a former House representative, who are also being investigated in this case, in exchange for their support of expanding the Government’s debt quota. Also, the former presidents of the Senate Iván Name and the House of Representatives Andrés Calle are being investigated by the Colombian Supreme Court of Justice.accused of the crimes of improper bribery and embezzlement by appropriation in favor of third parties.
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This scandal also affects Carlos Ramón González, who resigned last July from the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI), close to the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro. Those involved in the scheme would have embezzled 46.8 billion pesos (about 11.7 million dollars) in the purchase of 40 tanker trucks to bring drinking water to desert areas of the Caribbean department of La Guajira.
EFE.
