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Nicolás Petro, the eldest son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, will stand trial on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment after the Attorney General’s Office filed an
Nicolás Petro, the eldest son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, will stand trial on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment after the Attorney General’s Office filed an indictment on Monday and canceled the defendant’s previous agreement to cooperate with the justice system.
The president’s son was captured in late July and faces criminal charges after admitting he contributed illegal money to the political campaign that brought his father to power in the 2022 elections, sparking a scandal.
“The prosecutor has filed an indictment in the criminal courts of the specialized district of Barranquilla and within the limits of the law against Mr. Petro Burgos for the crimes he is accused of,” the Attorney General’s Office said in a statement.
“The Barranquilla Service Center Judge, upon automatic appointment, will appoint a judge who will move forward with the proceedings against Mr. Nicolás Fernando Petro Burgos. It is to this judge that the Prosecutor General’s Office will present all the evidence it has in the relevant case,” he added.
Nicholas Petro’s agreement with the justice system, which could have provided him with legal benefits such as reduced sentences and house arrest, was controversial and was rejected because it extended the terms originally planned for provide information and evidence from other people involved.
Nicolás was captured in the city of Barranquilla along with his ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vázquez, who said in March that two people accused of drug trafficking links gave her then-husband money to support his presidential campaign.
According to this statement, the president’s first-born son, who is currently detained at home, pledged to include them in his father’s peace efforts.
Nicolás resigned as a member of the Assembly of the Atlantico department in northern Colombia, initially declared himself innocent and said his decision to cooperate with justice was free, despite his father reporting the alleged pressure.
The president denied knowledge of illegal campaign financing and said he would continue to serve in his government until 2026, even though the scandal could hamper his social reform agenda as well as his efforts to seek peace and end conflict. . .6 decades, resulting in the death of more than 450 thousand people.
Nicholas Petro could be sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison, according to lawyers who are experts in criminal law.
An investigation by the Attorney General’s Office found that Nicholas apparently received approximately $386,000, with which he bought real estate, vehicles and luxury items, without justifying these earnings since his salary as a lawmaker was only $4,800 a month.
“Today begins the fight of my life, I knew the Barbosa prosecutor’s office was not trustworthy and today they proved it,” the president’s first-born son wrote on his X account, formerly known as Twitter, referring to Attorney General Francisco Barbosa.
“They pushed me to the limit for the sole purpose of turning me into a weapon against my father. “I decided to stand up and not kneel before the executioner,” he concluded.
Reuters.
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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