Why did the Attorney General’s Office file charges against seven councilors from a municipality in Nariño?

The measure affects seven of the 11 councilors in that municipality on the Pacific coast of Nariño, who had refused to install Alejandro Quiñónez, as the new municipal representative, at the beginning of 2024. This lawyer had taken first place in the advance competition for said position.

These are councilors Fabio Alexis Quiñónez, Jan Carlos Dajomes Tenorio, Jeilin Calixto Quiñónez, Fredis Édinson Quiñónez, Nelson Damar Torres, Terencio Dagoberto Quiñónez and Lucio Arboleda Montaño.

The aforementioned councilors had issued resolution No. 002 of January 9, 2024, in which they declared void the public competition of merits, but a few days later they opened a new call for the appointment of the municipal representative.

According to lawyer Quiñónez, who had to take office last February, he cannot be elected representative even by relationship of the fourth degree of consanguinity, second degree of affinity or first degree of civil relationship. Nor will anyone who has marital ties with the councilors involved in his election or with the mayor himself be able to hold the position.

The Attorney General’s Office began the disciplinary investigation and would have verified that parts of a legal concept had been used to issue a resolution that was very contrary to the law.

At the same time, The Attorney General’s Office urgently requested this week the charge sheet opened by the Tumaco Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. in order to advance the corresponding criminal investigation.

The crimes that the councilors would be facing are procedural fraud, prevarication by action, ideological falsehood in a public document and abuse of public office.
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MAURICIO DE LA ROSA
​Special for EL TIEMPO
​Grass