A Colombian court ruled on Tuesday that former President Álvaro Uribe could respond in freedom to the criminal proceedings he faces.
This will allow him to leave the house arrest while analyzing the defense appeal against the 12 -year prison sentence that was imposed on August 1 in a case of witness handling, according to the resolution published by the Court itself in his X account.
A CNN He contacted the defense of Uribe and the Colombian Attorney’s Office for comments and awaits response.
Uribe, who ruled Colombia from 2002 to 2010, was procedural fraud and witness bribery during a hearing held on July 28 at a Bogota Court.
Days later, the payment of a fine of US $ 830,000 (the equivalent of R $ 4.5 million) and the disqualification for eight years to hold public office. Judge Sandra Heredia also determined that the penalty began to be served immediately.
Uribe declares himself innocent of all accusations and his defense announced that he would appeal the conviction.
In Tuesday’s ruling, the Bogotá Superior Court accepted in favor of Uribe a guardianship action, allowing him to remain free as long as the appeal of the judgment is judged.
The case began in 2012, when Uribe of the now opposition party center party, accused Senator Iván Cepeda of the Historical Pact of trying to bind him to the creation of a paramilitary group. Since then, Cepeda denies these accusations.
Six years later, Colombia’s Supreme Court decided to open an investigation against Uribe for alleged manipulation of witnesses.
In May 2024, the inquiry resulted in one against the former president, as well as the later judgment that led to his conviction.
