Colombia’s Supreme Court has placed former President Alvaro Uribe under house arrest while a fraud and witness tampering case against him continues.
The high court’s unanimous decision published late on Tuesday said magistrates found “possible risks” of obstruction of justice while they continue probing accusations the ex-president had a role in bribing potential witnesses against him.
“He will fulfil his detention from his residence,” said Hector Javier Alarcon, president of the Supreme Court chamber handling the case.
“And from there, he can continue his defence with all the guarantees of due process of law.”
The ruling is the first-ever in Colombia ordering the detention of a former president.
“The privation of my liberty causes me profound sadness for my wife, for my family, and for Colombians who still believe that I have done something good for the country,” Uribe wrote on Twitter before the court published its decision.
The former president, who local media say is at his country house in Cordoba province, has repeatedly declared his innocence in the case and questioned the court’s independence. Uribe served as president from 2002 to 2010, overseeing the country at a time of continuing conflict with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Source: aljazeera.com
The post Colombia top court places ex-President Uribe under house arrest appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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