CONGRESSWOMAN GUILTY OF TAKING BRIBES IN 2004

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 001722 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018 TAGS: PREL PREF PTER PHUM PGOV CO SUBJECT: CONGRESSWOMAN GUILTY OF TAKING BRIBES IN 2004 URIBE REELECTION VOTE REF: BOGOTA 1705 Classified By: Political Counselor John Creamer Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) The Supreme Court accepted former Congresswoman Yidis Medina's guilty plea on bribery charges related to her 2004 vote to change the Constitution to allow President Uribe's 2006 reelection. She faces a minimum of two years in prison. The Court also sent its case files to the Prosecutor General and Congressional Accusations Commission. The Prosecutor may investigate Medina's allegations that several current and former GOC officials gave her jobs and cash in exchange for support in the reelection vote. The opposition Polo Party asked the Accusation Commission to investigate Uribe's role in the Medina case. Most agree the case against Uribe will not advance, but expect the allegations to complicate efforts to reform the Constitution to allow for a possible third Uribe term. END SUMMARY. COURT ACCEPT GUILTY PLEA -------------- ¶2. (U) The Supreme Court on May 8 accepted former Congresswoman Yidis Medina's guilty plea on bribery charges in connection with her 2004 vote to change the Constitution to allow President Uribe's 2006 reelection (reftel). Medina admitted that she and former Representative Teodolindo Avendano accepted jobs and cash in exchange for their support in the reelection vote in the House of Representatives. The Court ordered that Medina remain in custody pending sentencing in the case. She faces a minimum sentence of two years in prison. SENDS CASE FILE TO FISCALIA, CONGRESS -------------- ¶3. (U) The Court also sent case files to the Prosecutor General's office (Fiscalia) and the House of Representatives' Accusations Commission which has jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed by senior GOC officials including the president, but did not ask the Commission to open an investigation against Uribe. The opposition Polo Party subsequently asked the Commission to investigate the president. Medina claimed in her plea that 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. She also claimed that Uribe offered to assist with "the needs in my region, or whatever I would like." Iguaran has recused himself from the investigation. INVESTIGATION OF URIBE UNLIKELY TO ADVANCE -------------- ¶4. (C) The Accusations Commission lacks its own investigative capacity, and has some cases dating back to the 1980s. With Uribista parties controlling a solid majority on the Commission, few expect the case against Uribe to go far. Judicial Council Magistrate Angelino Lizcano told us the Commission would likely dismiss any case against Uribe after a brief, preliminary investigation due to lack of evidence. Senior opposition Liberal Party official Rafael Pardo concurred that the charges against Uribe would not advance. BUT COULD COMPLICATE THIRD TERM EFFORT -------------- ¶5. (C) Still, Liberal Party Representative Guillermo Rivera said opposition members may boycott the Commission to show dissatisfaction with the politicized nature of the Commission. Lizcano warned that the Opposition will use Medina's allegations to question the legitimacy of Uribe's reelection, and will carefully scrutinize efforts to reform the Constitution to allow for a possible third Uribe term. Presidential advisor Jose Obdulio Gaviria agreed that Medina's allegations would complicate any plans for a second reelection effort. BROWNFIELD