Colombian minister investigated for ties to warlord .

[Judi Lynn]

Colombian minister investigated for ties to warlord .
Wednesday, 04 July 2012 21:04 Adriaan Alsema

Colombia's Inspector General's Office on Wednesday began a preliminary investigation into alleged ties between Housing Minister German Vargas and jailed paramilitary warlord "Martin Llanos."

Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez decided to open an investigation after testimonies of the former ICT director of dismantled intelligence agency DAS, Rafael Garcia, and the former governor of Arauca, Julio Acosta, who had claimed that Vargas Lleras met with the warlord when he was senator.

~snip~

Ordoñez requested the Supreme Court to clarify whether there were any past or ongoing investigations against the minister and requested the Prosecutor General's Office to provide any evidence that could incriminate Vargas, one of the most senior politicians in Colombian politics and grandson of former President Carlos Lleras.

~snip~

Vargas is one of hundreds Colombian politicians investigated for ties to paramilitary groups.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/24929-colombian-minister-investigated-for-ties-to-warlord.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Colombian senator investigated over alleged drug money laundering ties .

Colombian senator investigated over alleged drug money laundering ties .
Wednesday, 04 July 2012 17:16 David Spencer Seconi

Colombia's Supreme Court opened an investigation a senator on Thursday over allegations of money laundering.
According to Colombia's financial crime agency, officials are now investigating coalition U Party member and former president of the Senate Dilian Francis Toro on charges that her family business, Agropecuaria Ceiba Verde Ltda., transferred almost $170 thousand to a person identified as Hans Barney Salazar, who was sent to prison in 2005 for seven years on charges of money laundering.

~snip~
The court also opened preliminary investigations of Toro's supposed links to paramilitary organizations in the southwest department of Cauca, which she currently represents.

Ex-narcotics trafficker Luis Hernando Gomez Bustamante, alias "Rasguno," recently told authorities that he had given $170 thousand to Toro's 2002 campaign.

~snip~
Toro was first linked to paramilitary groups in July 2008 as part of an informal list of senators implicated in the country's "parapolitica" scandal. She was elected to the senate in 2002 and received the most votes of any senator in the 2006 elections. She has been accused in the past of links with a number of drug dealers who pressured citizens in Cauca to vote in her favor.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/24928-supreme-court-investigates-senator-for-parapolitica-ties.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. Colombian capo's diary alleges payments to dozens of generals, officials and politicians .

Colombian capo's diary alleges payments to dozens of generals, officials and politicians .
Wednesday, 04 July 2012 07:30 Adriaan Alsema

Colombia is investigating whether a former capo of the Norte del Valle cartel had Colombia's former chief prosecutor, a congressman and 16 generals on his payroll, radio station La FM reported Wednesday.

According to the radio station, extradited drug trafficker Juan Carlos Ramirez, alias "Chupeta," noted his monthly payments to state officials in a diary that had been in the possession of Colombian police authorities since 2006 but not handed over to prosecutors until March this year.

In the drug trafficker's diary, Chupeta names the now retired officials and the amount of money they are suspected to have received monthly.

Among the incriminated officials are former Prosecutor General Luis Camilo Osorio -- already facing accusations of ties to paramilitary drug traffickers -- 16 police and army generals, six colonels and two admirals.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/24919-extradited-colombian-capos-diary-alleges-payments-to-dozens-of-generals-officials-and-politicians.html