Former Uribe aides charged for illegal wiretapping

[Judi Lynn]

Former Uribe aides charged for illegal wiretapping
Wednesday, 18 May 2011 15:29
Jim Glade

The Prosecutor General Wednesday charged the ex-director of Colombian intelligence agency DAS and former President Alvaro Uribe's chief of staff for ordering the illegal wiretapping of government opponents.

According to Prosecutor General Viviane Morales, former DAS director Maria del Pilar Hurtado and former chief of staff Bernardo Moreno ordered the spying on supreme court judges, journalists, human rights workers and opposition politicians.

Both officials were charged with conspiracy, the illegal interception of communication, abuse of public power and fraud. In addition, Del Piliar Hurtado is charged with embezzlement and falsifying a public document.

Morales charged the former DAS director for conspiracy for allegedly organizing the illegal operation against magistrates, journalists and the political opposition in September of 2007. The prosecutor general also accused Del Pilar Hurtado of ordering the illegal interception and recording of persons close to Senator Piedad Cordoba and Gustavo Petro as well as using DAS funds to pay her sources.

More:
http://www.colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/16363-uribe-aides-charged-for-illegal-wiretapping.html

Colombia is the 3rd largest lucky recipient of U.S. taxpayers' annual foreign aid package.

[rabs]

1. Martinelli says NO to extradition of Hurtado

And Colombia had not even requested it.

Word in Bogota today (Thursday) was that Interpol would be asked to help return Hurtado to Colombia to face criminal charges in the DAS thing.

Richie Martinelli said today in Panama City that she was not going because she had "territorial" asylum in Panama.

So a potential face-off is shaping up between the Santos government and uribito's friend Martinelli.

Spanish from the newspaper La Estrella of Panama.

http://www.laestrella.com.pa/online/noticias/2011/05/19/gobierno_colombiano_pedira_extradicion_de_hurtado_luego_de_negativa_de_martinelli.asp

[Judi Lynn]

2. Didn't you uncover an article concerning Uribe making a visit to Martinelli?

I could swear I've seen this very recently.

This is going to get very tense, it seems.