Colombia May Probe Political-Paramilitary Tie

Colombia May Probe Pol-Paramilitary Tie

Bogota, Jan 22 (Prensa Latina) The Colombian Supreme Court is to rule whether to subpoena legislators involved in a political liaison with the paramilitary AUC (Self-Defense Units of Colombia in July 2001.

Chief Justice Yesid Ramirez said they will first investigate the authenticity of the document revealed last week and statements by some signatories.

Salvatore Mancuso, leader of the dismantled AUC, handed over a secret pact, signed by 12 members of Congress and 20 governors, mayors and ex mayors, ranchers and journalists, with the then illegal extreme right-wing paramilitary group to redesign the country.

Because 32 of the signatories are congressmen, who possess immunity, it falls to the Supreme Court to investigate them and decide what measures to take, while the Attorney General will decide on the others.

Since the paramilitary AUC was illegal when the pact was signed, the people involved may be charged of conspiracy to commit a crime.