In the second stage of the trial that takes place against the former president of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe, for the bribery to witnesses and procedural fraud began this Monday in Bogotá, capital of Colombia, he himself was called to declare this Monday, as part of a defense strategy to prove that the accused is not guilty of the crimes that are imputed to him.
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The evidence of the defense begins in trial against former president of Colombia Álvaro Uribe
After a first stage that included the evidence presented by the Prosecutor’s Office with interceptions that were made to the ex -president, where indications of his alleged guilt are found in those crimes for which it is investigated, the process continues with a stage where the defense calls the witnesses.
These are about 74 witnesses, as part of a legal strategy by the defense to realize that the ex -president is not related to the crimes for which they are accused. As part of that strategy, the first witness who offered statements was Álvaro Uribe himself.
The audience started early, at 8h00 (local time) and was suspended around 4:00 p.m. (local time), and then resumed.
On this day Uribe was interrogated by his defense, Dr. Jaime Granados, and assured that he was not involved in manipulation or bribery to witnesses, who never sent emissaries or lawyers to prisons of the country to offer benefits to exparamilitaries or that his statements in favor of him in court would change.
Uribe said he sent members of his legal team to prisons in the country, because he heard some bribes would be forged against his brother, for alleged links with paramilitarism, and he tried to give an account of those testimonies.
Uribe’s testimony is expected to continue on Tuesday, in a long data process that began in 2018, and that the defense insists on extending because the period of prescription is fulfilled next October. Hence, the defense has made mistakes in the process, such as the challenge of the judge who takes the case to delay the trial in time, covered by the legislation in force in Colombia.
Uribe dismissed the evidence that the Prosecutor’s Office presented, ensuring that it is not related to those crimes that are charged to him.
The defense is putting into practice strategies to exonerate Uribe of the accusations, because in the first phase of the trial, the Prosecutor’s Office showed forceful elements of Uribe’s responsibility in crimes.
It is valid to remember that the Supreme Court of Justice (CSP) gave a house by jail to Uribe in relation to the investigation carried out when he was a senator. In that sense, analysts consider that the CSP decision was based on the fact that the evidence was true.
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