COLOMBIA: Judge orders the arrest of former High Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo for allegedly faking a demilitarisation event

Record ID: 349536

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Judge orders the arrest of former High Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo for allegedly faking a demilitarisation event
  • Date: 12th February 2012
  • Summary: BOGOTA. COLOMBIA (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FORMER HIGH PEACE COMMISSIONER LUIS CARLOS RESTREPO DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9JU9AWUT9P7R91HJFLINOW5YV
  • Story Text: A Colombian court issued an arrest warrant on Friday (February 10) for the country's former High Peace Commissioner, Luis Carlos Restrepo, a close ally of hard-line former President Alvaro Uribe.
    Restrepo is accused of having staged the fake surrender of a group of FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels in 2006. During the ceremony in Tolima, dozens of men who reportedly belonged to the Cacica Gaitana column turned in their weapons. Several later said they were never rebels, but rather were homeless men or criminals who were paid by a former FARC rebel to participate in the event.
    The former peace official is believed to be outside the country. If convicted, he faces six years in prison.
    Clara Rojas Obregon of the Polo Democratic opposition party said the charges are all too common among Uribe's former allies.
    "I believe that it is very serious from an institutional point of view and it has started to become like the conduct of top officials of the former administration. I hope that this does not gets bigger," she said.
    At least two other top officials from Uribe's administration-the former head of the DAS secret police, Maria del Pilar Hurtado, and former Interior Minister Sabas Pretelt de Vega, are currently facing criminal charges in Colombia.
    Restrepo was Uribe's peace commissioner from 2002 to 2009. He is best known for having brokered a peace deal with the right-wing paramilitaries.
    Colombian Senator Roy Barrera said he believes Restrepo would find a sympathetic ear before the court.
    "I believe that Luis Carlos Restrepo is a good man; he very well could go to court and would most likely would find synergy with the government," he said.
    Although popular for debiliating the FARC, Uribe's administration was plagued by accusations of corruption.
    All three of the former Uribe associates have said they are innocent of the charges. Uribe has said the charges are a case of political persecution against his administration.
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