EX-CONGRESSWOMAN ACCUSES GOC OF BRIBERY IN URIBE'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001705 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PREF PTER PHUM CO SUBJECT: EX-CONGRESSWOMAN ACCUSES GOC OF BRIBERY IN URIBE'S FIRST RE-ELECTION VOTE Classified By: A/DCM John Creamer Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Former Representative Yidis Medina plead guilty to charges that the GOC bribed her to approve the constitutional change that allowed President Uribe's first reelection. She accused Social Protection Minister Palacio, Prosecutor General Iguaran, and former Interior Minister Pretelt of providing her jobs and cash, and claimed she has receipts for $100,000 in illegal payments. Medina contradicted her previous testimony that the GOC never made an illegal offer on the reelection vote. The allegations raised questions about the legitimacy of the 2004 reelection effort and will complicate efforts to amend the Constitution to allow for a possible third Uribe term. End summary. MEDINA SAYS GOC OFFERED JOBS, CASH -------------- ¶2. (U) Former Congresswoman Yidis Medina plead guilty on April 30 to bribery charges in the Supreme Court, and accused GOC officials of offering her and another congressman jobs and cash in exchange for supporting a Constitutional amendment to allow President Uribe's to run for reelection in ¶2004. Medina claimed that GOC officials, including Social Protection Minister Diego Palacio, Prosecutor General (Fiscal) Mario Iguaran, and ex-Interior Minister Sabas Pretelt (now GOC ambassador in Rome),arranged for plum jobs for Medina's supporters. ¶3. (U) Medina also alleged that ex-Representative Teodolindo Avendano received cash payments from lucrative notary public offices created by the GOC in exchange for Avendano's absence from the reelection vote. Medina said she was a conduit for the payments and possessed receipts for deposits worth more than $100,000. The 2004 reelection vote in the House First Commission passed 18 to 16 after Medina voted in favor and Avendano remained absent. CONTRADICTING HERSELF -------------- ¶4. (C) Medina contradicted her previous sworn testimony that there was no deal on the reelection vote. In 2004, she told GOC Inspector General (Procuraduria) that she had received no offers from the GOC to change her vote. News magazine "Semana" reported May 4 that Medina's appetite for bureaucratic positions prompted her guilty plea. Medina publicly said she made the revelations because GOC did not keep its side of the bargain in handing over jobs. Representative Santiago Castro told us Medina had constantly pressed the GOC for jobs. ¶5. (U) The Supreme Court claimed jurisdiction over the case since the alleged bribery was an official act, and is set to call Palacio, Iguaran, Pretelt and others to testify. The Court will decide whether to accept Medina's plea the week of May 5. If the Court does so, she faces a minimum of two years in prison if she fully cooperates. "Semana" reported that Medina may try to further reduce her sentence by offering tapes of GOC officials making the illegal offers. COMPLICATIONS FOR THIRD TERM -------------- ¶6. (C) Regardless of the veracity of Medina's charges, Castro and coalition Senator and Conservative Party Chief Efrain Cepeda told us the investigation will have a political impact on any effort to modify the constitution to allow a third Uribe term. Congress would have to consider any legislation to allow a third term as early as July. The combination of the Medina investigation, and the Court's sixty-plus investigations in the para-political scandal, have created questions about the legitimacy of the 2004 reelection process--and any third term effort. BROWNFIELD