"My obsession was the truth," says former Colombian president after testifying in witness tampering case

Record ID: 1435858

  • Title: "My obsession was the truth," says former Colombian president after testifying in witness tampering case
  • Date: 9th October 2019
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (OCTOBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF FORMER PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE ARRIVING AT THE HEADQUARTERS OF HIS DEMOCRATIC CENTRE PARTY, SURROUNDED BY MEDIA MEDIA URIBE HOLDING MICROPHONE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE, SAYING: "Every document that was collected, was taken to the court by my order, my only obsession was the truth. It hurts me to be called to an investigation accusing me that what I wanted with those tests that I sent to the court was to induce the court to a mistake and it was a procedural fraud, man, please."
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 15:44
  • Keywords: Former President Alvaro Uribe testify Colombia's supreme court investigation witness tampering bribery
  • Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA AND INTERNET
  • City: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA AND INTERNET
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B0DN29Z
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Former President Alvaro Uribe spoke of his innocence on Tuesday (October 8) after testifying to Colombia's supreme court as part of an investigation into whether he participated in witness tampering and bribery.
    The private hearing was the first time a former president has been called to testify before the court and marked the latest instalment in a long-running feud between right-winger Uribe and leftist senator Ivan Cepeda.
    Uribe - a mentor of President Ivan Duque and a current senator - could serve time in prison if eventually convicted in the case. He has repeatedly declared his innocence and questioned the court's independence.
    Uribe's appearance drew both protesters and supporters to the hearing in central Bogota. His testimony had been expected to stretch over several days, but local media reported he answered some 280 questions and would not be called on Wednesday.
    In 2012, Uribe accused Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to tie him to right-wing paramilitary groups during jail visits to former fighters.
    But in February 2018 the court, which investigates all criminal matters involving lawmakers, said Cepeda had collected information as part of his work and had not paid or pressured former paramilitaries.
    Instead it was Uribe who was at fault, the court said.
    (Production: Camilo Cohecha)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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