PRESIDENT URIBE: QUESTIONS ARISE WITH SUPREME

UNCLAS BOGOTA 007359 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREF PREL PTER SUBJECT: PRESIDENT URIBE: QUESTIONS ARISE WITH SUPREME COURT OVER PARAMILITARY ALLEGATIONS -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On October 8, President Uribe released a statement saying he had received a letter from a jailed paramilitary accusing Supreme Court Magistrate Ivan Velasquez of offering the paramilitary legal benefits to implicate Uribe in a plot to murder a jailed paramilitary leader. Uribe called Velasquez to discuss the case and later asked the Prosecutor General to investigate. The Supreme Court issued a statement supporting Velasquez--who is a lead investigator in the para-political scandal--and accusing Uribe of obstructing the para-political investigations. Uribe has supported the Court's investigations--including increasing its investigative capacity--but will continue to criticize it when he believes it is wrong. END SUMMARY. -------------- URIBE'S STATEMENT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On October 8, President Uribe released a statement saying he had received a letter from jailed paramilitary Jose Orlando Moncada (a.k.a. "Tasmania") accusing Supreme Court Magistrate Ivan Velasquez of offering him legal benefits to implicate Uribe in a plot to murder jailed paramilitary Alcides de Jesus Durango (a.k.a. "Rene.") In the statement, Uribe asked the Prosecutor General (Fiscalia) to investigate the allegations. Uribe said "all Colombians are subject to investigation, starting with the President of the Republic." He added that it is imperative to determine whether he is a killer, Tasmania is a liar, or a Supreme Court official is attempting to falsely incriminate him. ¶3. (SBU) The next day, Uribe released the text of the letter and admitted to calling Velasquez to inquire about the matter. Uribe publicly claimed the Supreme Court may be plotting against him, possibly in retaliation for Uribe's numerous criticisms of the Court. Uribe and the Supreme Court sparred in July over a court ruling impacting the legal status of demobilized paramilitaries. -------------- THE SUPREME COURT'S RESPONSE -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Supreme Court President Cesar Julio Valencia issued a statement supporting Velasquez and accusing President Uribe of obstructing the court's investigations. Velasquez appeared on television admitting that he visited "Tasmania" in Itagui prison, and claiming the visit was motivated by the belief that "Tasmania" might have valuable information relating to the "para-political" investigations. ¶5. (SBU) Velasquez leads the unit investigating the para-political scandal. So far, the Court has jailed 14 members of congress for para-ties (reftel). Another 22 are under investigation, including the president's cousin and former Senator, Mario Uribe. Velasquez also claimed he is under Administrative Department of Security (DAS) surveillance, and that the DAS is investigating his exchanges with "Tasmania." DAS Director Maria del Pilar Hurtado denied these claims, but said the DAS would investigate to determine if any DAS personnel were conducting such activities on their own. ¶6. (SBU) Court investigators in the para-scandal claimed they received threats. In early October, Supreme Court President Valencia said the daughter of an investigator received an anonymous death threat forcing the evacuation of her school in Bogota. It was the second reported threat this year against those involved with "para-political" investigations. -------------- REACTION -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The media, still critical of Uribe's comments regarding Gonzalo Guillen (correspondent for Miami's El Nuevo Herald, who left Colombia after Uribe accused him of helping former Pablo Escobar girlfriend Virgina Vallejo write "Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar,"),questioned Uribe's tactics in calling Velasquez, but defended the president's right to seek an investigation of the allegations. Human Rights Watch denounced President Uribe's actions as a "threat to judicial independence." Uribe has publicly supported the Court's para-political investigations, and provided the court the additional resources needed to set up its own investigative unit. Still, as evidenced by his remarks, he reserves the right to publicly criticize the court, as well as other institutions, when he believes they are wrong. Brownfield