- Title: COLOMBIA: GUNMEN WOUND PRESIDENT SAMPER'S LAWYER AND KILL HIS TWO BODYGUARDS
- Date: 27th September 1995
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (SEPTEMBER 27, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE VIEW SCENE OF ATTACK (2 SHOTS) 0.10 2. SV CAR WITH BROKEN WINDSCREEN 0.16 3. SV BODIES OF DEAD BODYGUARDS FOR PRESIDENT ERNESTO SAMPER'S LAWYER, ANTONIO JOSE CANCINO, IN CAR / GLASS IN CAR (4 SHOTS) 0.39 4. SLV ARMED POLICE AT SCENE / GV SCENE (2 SHOTS) 0.
- Embargoed: 12th October 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA
- City:
- Country: Colombia LATIN AMERICA
- Reuters ID: LVA4ZODMEZ5VD7IGVWBRLTP3Q1AT
- Story Text: Colombian President Ernesto Samper's lawyer was wounded and his two bodyguards killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen in central Bogota early on Wednesday (September 27).
Police Commander Luis Ernesto Ginibert said the lawyer, Antonio Jose Cancino, was now out of danger, after suffering minor injuries in the attack.
Police, backed by helicopters, launched a massive manhunt for the three gunmen who reportedly opened fire on Cancino's vehicle from a motorcycle and a truck as he was leaving the university campus where he teaches in the downtown area.
The attack occurred at about 0655 local time (1155 GMT), police and witnesses said.
Two police bodyguards riding in a jeep following Cancino's car were killed in the burst of automatic gunfire and a third, apparently Cancino's driver, was injured.
Cancino, who was rushed to Bogota's Military Hospital, is defending Samper against charges that he knew about and approved the receipt of up to 6 million United States dollars from the Cali drug cartel to finance his 1994 election campaign.
The charges are being investigated by a congressional committee that must decide next month whether there is sufficent evidence to hold a Senate hearing on impeaching Samper -- something that has never happened in Colombian history.
Cancino accompanied Samper on Tuesday when the president testified for the first time about the alleged drug financing of his campaign.
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