FISCALIAS PREPARES TO RESUME SALVATORE MANCUSO'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 000269

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

// C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - SUBJECT LINE //

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: KJUS PGOV PINR PREL PTER CO
SUBJECT: FISCALIAS PREPARES TO RESUME SALVATORE MANCUSO'S
CONFESSION

REF: A. A. BOGOTA 11330

B. B. BOGOTA 11301

Classified By: Political Counselor John S. Creamer.
Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)

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Summary
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1. (C) The Prosecutor General's (Fiscalia) Justice and Peace
Unit Chief Luis Gonzalez told us on January 12 his office is
preparing the second round of questions for ex-paramilitary
leader Salvatore Mancuso once his &version libre" or
voluntary confession resumes on January 15. Gonzalez said
the ongoing confessions of four mid-level ex-paramilitary
leaders provided a "goldmine of information." Gonzalez said
the JPL unit needs more resources. He had received a
commitment from Prosecutor General Mario Iguaran to provide
additional resources after threatening to resign. We have
already provided USD 1.5 million in assistance to the Unit
and will make available additional assistance once we receive
authorized FY06 funding for Justice and Peace, including FY06
supplemental funds. End summary.

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Gearing-Up for Mancuso's Version Libre
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2. (C) Salvatore Mancuso was the first top paramilitary
leader to begin his "version libre" or voluntary confession
under the Justice and Peace Law (JPL) process. In his
December 19 testimony in Medellin, Mancuso focused on how
FARC hostility and lack of State presence led to the "need to
create paramilitary groups." The emotional testimony, in
which Mancuso cried and apologized to the victims for "all
the tears" he caused, lasted only two days before being
suspended after he asked for additional time to prepare. His
version libre is scheduled to resume on January 15.


3. (C) JPL unit head Luis Gonzalez told us on January 12 his
office is using the recess to prepare precise questions to
ask Mancuso. With our help, the JPL Unit has developed a
question guide for prosecutors that will be used in future
version libres. This question guide is divided into three
phases:

- Introductory Phase: Explain the JPL process and
obligations; get all the necessary biographical information
on the individual, including aliases; his/her financial
situation (legal and illegal assets); the history of his/her
involvement in the organization; and the history on the
organization and its finances.

- Revelation of Criminal Activity Phase: The ex-paramilitary
would have to advise the Fiscalia of the crimes which he/she
plans to confess to allow the Fiscalia to properly inform the
victims and arrange for their participation in the process.
He/she also would need to confess his/her knowledge of the
organization's involvement in crimes.

- Verification of Information Phase: The prosecutor's would
have to verify all the information stated by the former
paramilitary and should ask further questions/clarifications.


4. (C) Gonzalez said Mancuso must answer more questions on
his involvement in the organization and its history and
finances prior to beginning the second phase of this process.
Gonzalez is optimistic Mancuso will be forthcoming despite
the fact that some ex-paramilitary leaders are using
intimidation to silence paras inclined to cooperate with the
Fiscalia and reveal ties between the AUC and politicians,
public forces, cattle ranchers, and others. He said Carlos
para leader Mario Jimenez (AKA "Macaco") has reportedly
asserted greater leadership and pressure over the
ex-paramilitaries in Itagui's maximum-security prison (reftel
A). Gonzalez said Mancuso wants to tell the truth and be

transferred out of Itagui because the pressure from within is
becoming unbearable.


5. (C) Gonzalez warned, however, that Mancuso could loose
his JPL benefits because of possible links to crimes
committed after July 25, 2006. Moreover, he also faces
criminal charges in Italy. (Note: The JPL states that the
law's benefits do not apply to crimes committed after July
25.) An Italian anti-mafia judge has indicted Mancuso for
being a main supplier of drugs to Europe, and has requested
his extradition. (Note: We have also requested Mancuso's
extradition; the GOC approved it but suspended the request
due to his participation in the peace process.)

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Status on the Other Version Libres Taking Place
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6. (C) Gonzalez said the ongoing version libres of four
mid-level ex-paramilitary leaders are providing a "goldmine
of information." He hopes for similar luck with three more
confessions set to begin in the coming week. Wilson Salazar
(AKA "El Loro"),who was the second-in-command of the Julio
Peinado Becerra Front and the first former paramilitary to
begin the version libre process on December 14, had not
wanted to confess to any crimes until recently when he
admitted to participating in four homicides and two
kidnappings. The JPL Unit was only aware of one homicide
prior to taking his version libre (reftel B). Carlos Mario
Montoya (AKA "Arbolito" or "Arnold") from the Pacific Bloc
has revealed information about 17 homicides and six mass
graves. Meanwhile, in his account of just his first six
months of membership in the bloc, Jhon Mario Salazar (AKA "El
Pecoso" or "El Gordo") of the Catatumbo Bloc has already
revealed his participation in 29 killings.

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Justice and Peace Unit Still Needs More Resources
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7. (C) Gonzalez said he has long been frustrated by lack of
resources and support from the Fiscalia and elsewhere. It
was only within the last two months that the JPL unit had
received the number of prosecutors and investigators mandated
by law (reftel B). Gonzalez said he threatened to resign in
early January if he did not get the additional support needed
to do his job. In response, Prosecutor General Mario Iguaran
authorized additional resources and personnel, but these
resources have yet to be received. Even though his budget
has quadrupled to more than 10 billion pesos (over USD 4
million) since last year, Gonzalez said it is still
insufficient.


8. (C) Iguaran also finally backed Gonzalez's demand that
the GOC issue a decree to regulate how other government
entities assist victims in the JPL process. Gonzalez said he
would meet with Minister of Interior and Justice Carlos
Holguin on January 12 to discuss the decree. Thus far,
Gonzalez said the JPL unit has assisted 25,000 victims. He
clarified that he was misunderstood during an El Tiempo
interview on January 7, which quoted him as saying the
Fiscalia had 100,000 cases related to JPL. In fact, what he
said was 100,000 events or "hechos" have been brought up in
the debriefing of the 25,000 victims and the JPL Unit's
preliminary investigations.

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U.S. Support
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9. (C) The U.S. has provided USD 1.5 million in assistance
to the JPL Unit, which has included: training and technical
assistance for prosecutors, investigators, and judges; office
equipment and installations, including the development of the
offices and hearing rooms in Bogota, Baranquilla and
Medellin; recording and audio/visual systems for version
libres; and forensic support, including training of

exhumation teams; and operating expenses. Further assistance
plans include: continued technical assistance; development of
human identification center for human remains; training and
development of additional exhumation teams; enhancement of
database; enhancement of recording and documenting systems;
security, including armored vehicles. The Embassy has yet,
however, to receive authorized FY06 funding for Justice and
Peace, as well as FY06 supplemental funds.
WOOD