Arias called for questioning over subsidy scandal

[Judi Lynn]

Arias called for questioning over subsidy scandal
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 15:05 Adriaan Alsema

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/politics/andres_arias_ais.jpg

Colombia's Prosecutor General's Office called former Agriculture Minister Andres Felipe Arias for questioning over the alleged illegal granting of government subsidies to powerful families.

The former minister will have to answer for his role in the Agro Ingreso Security scandal, which saw money meant for poor farmers end up in the pockets of beauty queens, wealthy and politically powerful families, and former paramilitaries.

Arias and his successor are both under criminal investigation, suspected of having used government funds to seek popular support for the failed 2010 re-election of former president Alvaro Uribe.

A new fact in the scandal came to light earlier Tuesday, with the revelation that the director of Proexport, the organization in charge of the promotion of Colombian exports and tourism, was a recipient of the subsidies.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11715-arias-called-for-questioning-over-subsidy-scandal.html

[rabs]

1. Little Uribe (uribito) was alvaro uribe's choice for the presidency

but the Santos people cut the ground out from under him in the primaries, much to the fury of alvarito.

More and more people around alvarito are in deep doo-doo with the law now, while he has bugged out to Washington.

Maria Pilar de Hurtado (former DAS director) is next. Slowly the legal noose is tightening around alvarito.

Maybe he can rent a room from Sanchez de Lozada if alvarito does not dare go back to Colombia.