Former vice minister to jail over agriculture subsidy

[Judi Lynn]

Former vice minister to jail over agriculture subsidy
Monday, 11 April 2011 15:20
Kathryn Thompson

Colombia's former vice minister of Agriculture was sent to jail for his part in the AIS agriculture subsidy scandal that saw wealthy land and business owners receive large payments intended for needy rural farmers, reported local media Monday.

A Bogota judge ruled there was sufficient evidence against former vice-Minster of Agriculture Juan Camilo Salazar, the former Director of Trade and Finance Toro Camila Reyes and former heads of the legal office Tulia Eugenia Mendez and Oskar Schroeder Muller to place them under preventative detention.

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The judge rejected the Prosecutors plea for house arrest, saying there is no reason the officials should be sheltered with this measure. They will be taken to El Buen Pastor and La Picota prison in Bogota.

In the biggest scandal to ever hit the Colombian agricultural industry, beauty queens, wealthy families, and then-President Alvaro Uribe supporters were given huge sums of money than was intended for poor farmers, in a bid to promote productivity and competition and reduce inequality.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/15523-former-vice-minister-to-jail-over-agriculture-subsidy.html