COLOMBIA: STATUS OF THREE HIGH PROFILE COURT CASES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 006148

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CO KHUM
SUBJECT: COLOMBIA: STATUS OF THREE HIGH PROFILE COURT CASES

Classified By: Ambassador William B. Wood. For reasons 1.4 (b&d)


1. (C) In three high profile criminal cases, Colombian Army
(COLAR) members have been detained in connection with alleged
extrajudicial killings of 29 civilians, charged with
narco-related corruption that led to the deaths of 10
counternarcotics police, and a former Justice Minister is on
trial for his part in the 1990 assassination of presidential
candidate Luis Carlos Galan. The more aggressive GOC role in
investigating human rights violations, in moving to transfer
military cases to the civilian judiciary, and in seeking to
protect the rights of individuals in criminal proceedings, is
a positive sign.

-------------- --------------
MOD DETAINS 18 SOLDIERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
-------------- --------------


2. (C) On July 5, the Ministry of Defense announced that 18
members of the Army were detained in connection with
extrajudicial killings of 29 alleged civilians in Antioquia.
Carlos Franco, Director of the Vice President's Human Rights
Program, said the indictments were part of the MOD's efforts
to "vindicate" the military justice system in the wake of
widespread criticism of ineffectiveness and recent proposals
to transfer more responsibility to the Prosecutor General's
Office in these cases. Franco added that Carmen Rosa Villa,
director of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights Office (UNHCHR),called him personally to congratulate
him on the GoC's efforts.

--------------
JAMUNDI PENAL PROCESS CONTINUES
--------------


3. (C) A civilian court charged 15 members of the High
Mountain Batallion, including the commander, for the May 22
killings of ten elite counternarcotics police in Jamundi,
Valle del Cauca Department. The 15 suspects were detained in
two phases, one group on June 1 and the other on June 17.
Although the Army initially claimed the killings were a
result of friendly fire, further investigations suggested the
ambush was carried out at the behest of local
narcotraffickers. Following the killings, President Uribe
proposed a reform that would transfer investigative power to
the civilian Prosecutor General for military crimes (details
of this plan are scheduled to be announced in July).

-------------- --------------
EX-MINISTER AWAITS JUDGMENT FOR GALAN ASSASSINATION
-------------- --------------


4. (U) Ex Justice Minister Alberto Santofimio is on trial for
complicity in the 1990 assassination of presidential
candidate Luis Carlos Galan. The Procurator General's office
(which plays a public interest role in protecting rights in
criminal proceedings) called for Santofimio's acquittal based
on a lack of credibility of the prosecution's star witness,
John Jairo Velasquez, aka "Popeye." Popeye, a former
lieutenant of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, accused Santofimio
of plotting Galan's murder with Escobar. The prosecutor in
the case maintains that Popeye's testimony is credible and
that Santofimio should be convicted. The judge is expected
to rule by the beginning of August.
WOOD