Colombia detains congressman who was president's peace commissioner for alleged drug ties

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia detains congressman who was president's peace commissioner for alleged drug ties
By Associated Press
5:47 p.m. EDT, April 29, 2010

BOGOTA (AP) — Colombian authorities have detained a lawmaker with ties to President Alvaro Uribe on allegations of receiving drug money.

The Attorney General's Office says Congressman Luis Carlos Restrepo, Uribe's former peace commissioner, was arrested Thursday for alleged illegal enrichment.

Restrepo told reporters he can prove his innocence. If anything, Restrepo says, he is guilty of "legal impoverishment."

The investigation stems from allegations by Hernando Gomez Bustamante, an accused drug trafficker jailed in the U.S., that Restrepo received drug money.

http://www.courant.com/news/nation-world/sns-ap-lt-colombia-congressman-detained,0,4913341.story

[Judi Lynn]

1. Valle and Antioquia congressmen arrested for 'parapolitics'

Valle and Antioquia congressmen arrested for 'parapolitics'
Thursday, 29 April 2010 12:15 Brett Borkan

Colombian authorities arrest congressmen Luis Carlos Restrepo, Valle del Cauca representative, and Valencia Duque, Antioquia representative, on Thursday for alleged links to paramilitary groups, reports El Espectador.

Following orders from Colombia's Supreme Court, agents from the Technical Investigation Team (CTI) arrested Restrepo, a congressman since 2006 (not to be confused with Luis Carlos Restrepo, former peace commissioner) after testimony from extradited drug trafficker Hernando Gomez Bustamante, alias "Rasguno."

Bustamante, who was arrested in 2004 and extradited to the United States on July 19, 2007 for money laundering and drug trafficking, is the former leader of the Norte del Valle Cartel, implicated Partido de la U Congressman Restrepo for receiving campaign financing from paramilitaries.

Bustamante claimed to have received frequent visits from Restrepo, and that he supported the politician financially in his campaign for mayor in the city of Cartago between 2001 and 2003.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/9435-valle-del-cauca-congressman-arrested-for-parapolitics.html

[rabs]

2. The uribista house of cards is crumbling fast

Now we have the spectacle of a current president, uribe, a leading presidential candidate, JM Santos, and uribe's former peace commissioner, Restrepo, ordered by the Supreme Court to testify in a criminal trial. It is a first for Colombia, and worldwide. :bounce:

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Uribe must testify in cousin's parapolitics trial

Colombia's Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that President Alvaro Uribe will have to testify in the trial of his cousin, former Senate president Mario Uribe Escobar, who is facing charges of colluding with paramilitaries, reports Caracol Radio.

In the trial, which began on Tuesday, the court wants the president to testify on the methods Mario Uribe used to obtain votes in his election to the Senate, which, prosecutors claim, were extremely shady and came from illicit deals with AUC paramilitary figures.

Mario Uribe, however, contends that he was able to win the elections due to the popularity of his cousin, President Alvaro Uribe.

The Supreme Court also declared on Tuesday that Partido de la U presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos and former peace commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo will be called to testify in the trial of Mario Uribe.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/9380-uribe-asked-to-testify-in-cousins-trial.html

[Judi Lynn]

3. The whole thing may come completely apart once the little fella loses control of the country's army,

and the services of DAS, etc., and it becomes embarrassing for the politicians who are still in office to be associated with him, wouldn't you think?

I hope there's too bright a spotlight on Mario now for them to take any wild chances in the way the court will handle his trial.
Loved it when he tried to flee Colombia and hide out in Costa Rica, and was asked to leave.

I read Alvaro's political party was actually started by him and his cousin. Hope that will be collapsing, too, leaving all his crooked cronies without a party to represent.

Keeping a hope Mockus will NOT be harmed in the run-up to the election, nor after it. The odds haven't been encouraging in that country for successful leftist politicians.

[Judi Lynn]

4. No doubt the little prince Uribe deeply regrets having given this maurading narcotrafficker

the chance to lighten his legal prospects by taking advantage of Uribe's "demobilization" offer he extended to the powerful, torturing and murdering monsters in Colombia. His being extradited to the U.S. on drug charges keeps the Colombian prosecutors from having to deal with the vicious murders he has committed upon the people of Colombia.

http://upload.wikimedia.org.nyud.net:8090/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/94/Gomez-Bustamante.jpg/100px-Gomez-Bustamante.jpg http://www.elpais.com.co.nyud.net:8090/paisonline/fotos_notas/rasgu2.jpg http://www.pablometal.net.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bunuelo.jpg http://www.iconoeditorial.com.nyud.net:8090/images/libros/14/caratula.jpg

Luis Hernando Gómez Bustamante alias ‘Rasguño’, the narcotrafficker who has named Uribe's Restrepo as a narco-bought politician.

http://static2.elespectador.com.nyud.net:8090/files/images/mar2009/bab42581df0d1af8e073e87381031920.jpg http://bostonist.com.nyud.net:8090/attachments/boston_caroline/011608-igor-young-frankenstein.jpg

Luis Carlos Restrepo, left, sucking up to Álvaro Uribe, and Igor, "Young Frankenstein."