Colombia ex-president Uribe guilty of abuse of process, bribery of a public official
Former Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe visits the hospital where Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay is being treated after he was shot during a campaign event, in Bogota, Colombia, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo
BOGOTA - A judge on Monday found former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe guilty of abuse of process and bribery of a public official in a years-long witness tampering case, making the right-wing politician the country's first ex-president ever convicted at trial.
Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia is reading her decision aloud to the court. She found Uribe not guilty of a third charge, bribery.
The ruling, which can be appealed, is the latest decision in a hugely politicized case which has run for some 13 years.
Uribe, 73, and his supporters say the process is a persecution and that he is innocent, while his detractors have celebrated it as the deserved downfall for a man who has been repeatedly accused of close relationships with violent right-wing paramilitaries, but never convicted of any crime.
Each charge carries a jail sentence of between 6 and 12 years. Heredia is expected to sentence Uribe in a later hearing.
"Justice does not kneel before power," Heredia told the court on Monday morning, before spending about nine hours reading her decision. "It is at the service of the Colombian people."
"We want to say to Colombia that justice has arrived," the judge said, adding her full decision is some 1,000 pages long. REUTERS
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
World Trump says many are starving in Gaza, vows to set up food centres
Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row
World US, China hold new talks on tariff truce, easing path for Trump-Xi meeting
Asia Giant algal bloom off South Australia devastates marine life, threatens seafood exports
Sport Dare to dream, urges Singapore's first International Swimming Hall of Famer Joseph Schooling
Singapore 44 suspects under probe for involvement in SIM card fraud
Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road recovery works progressing steadily, tests under way
Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
17 minutes ago
- Straits Times
India to maintain Russian oil imports despite Trump threats, government sources say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on US imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a peace deal with Ukraine. NEW DELHI - India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite US President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Aug 2, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. On top of a new 25 per cent tariff on India's exports to the US, Mr Trump indicated in a Truth Social post in July that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Aug 1, Mr Trump told reporters he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. But the sources said there would be no immediate changes. 'These are long-term oil contracts,' one of the sources said. 'It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight.' Justifying India's oil purchases from Russia, a second source said India's imports of Russian grades had helped avoid a global surge in oil prices, which have remained subdued despite Western curbs on the Russian oil sector. Unlike Iranian and Venezuelan oil, Russian crude is not subject to direct sanctions, and India is buying it below the current price cap fixed by the European Union, the source said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home The New York Times also quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials on Aug 2 as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy. Indian government authorities did not respond to Reuters' request for official comment on its oil purchasing intentions. However, during a regular press briefing on Aug 1, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a 'steady and time-tested partnership' with Russia. 'On our energy sourcing requirements... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances,' he said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India's top supplier Mr Trump, who has made ending Russia's war in Ukraine a priority of his administration since returning to office this year, has expressed growing impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. He has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on US imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the leading supplier to India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, accounting for about 35 per cent of its overall supplies. India imported about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1 per cent from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. But while the Indian government may not be deterred by Mr Trump's threats, sources told Reuters this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil after July discounts narrowed to their lowest since 2022 - when sanctions were first imposed on Moscow - due to lower Russian exports and steady demand. Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources told Reuters. Nayara Energy - a refinery majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft, and major buyer of Russian oil - was recently sanctioned by the EU. Nayara's chief executive resigned following the sanctions, and three vessels laden with oil products from Nayara Energy have yet to discharge their cargoes, hindered by the new EU sanctions, Reuters reported last week. REUTERS
Straits Times
41 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Amsterdam Pride parade blends celebration and protest in LGBTQ+ show of solidarity
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox AMSTERDAM - Around 80 colorful pride boats sailed through Amsterdam's World Heritage canals on Saturday in the finale of a week-long celebration in the city that stood in stark contrast to recent crackdowns on LGBTQ+ rights in fellow EU member state Hungary. While the flotilla is not political, attendees used the occasion to criticise conflicts or world leaders for their stance on LGBTQ+ rights. Thehany Gilmore, a 43-year-old Dutch-Caribbean dressed in a leather outfit with a whip, said banning of the Budapest pride parade "is a form of oppression." "People everywhere should have their own pride to be able to represent who they are," she said. Palestinian flags were spotted among the crowd of revelers, and Dutch police arrested four activists who had jumped in the water to vandalize the boat in protest over its listings in settlements in Israeli-occupied territories. Others criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration implemented anti-trans policies and cut funding for international aid programs, dealing a setback to HIV prevention efforts in Africa. Some waved a hybrid U.S./Pride flag, while one boat declared itself a 'Trump-Free Pride Boat' with signs reading 'Trans Rights Are Human Rights.' Another featured mock graveyards and the message 'Trump's Actions Kill. Love Saves Lives,' highlighting fears over U.S. AIDS funding cuts. "Amsterdam Pride is... about expressing yourself, showing who you are, being grateful for the freedom that we have in Europe. The U.S. really needs to reinvent itself... be more open about people," 40-year-old Michael Jacobs, who hails from Dutch port city Rotterdam, said. "Don't judge people for who they are. Just love each other." REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Israeli hostage families in Tel Aviv
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US envoy Steve Witkoff (left) arriving on Aug 2 for a closed meeting with the families of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. TEL AVIV - US envoy Steve Witkoff met anguished relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza on Aug 2, as fears for the captives' survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas' October 2023 attack. Mr Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed the meeting was under way and videos shared online showed Mr Witkoff arriving as families chanted 'Bring them home!' and 'We need your help.' The visit came one day after Mr Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza, to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory. Mr Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP: 'The war needs to end. The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so. 'The Israeli government must be stopped. For our sakes, for our soldiers' sakes, for our hostages' sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East.' Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home After the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying that Mr Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages. 'Horrifying acts' Hamas attempted to maintain pressure on the families, releasing a video of one of the hostages – 24-year-old Mr Evyatar David – for the second time in two days, showing him looking emaciated in a tunnel. The video called for a ceasefire and warned that time was running out for the hostages. Mr David's family said their son was the victim of a 'vile' propaganda campaign and accused Hamas of deliberately starving their son. 'The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas' propaganda,' the family said. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely. But talks broke down in July and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under increasing domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead. He is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation. 'Without rest' But Israel's top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting if the hostages were not released. 'I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages,' armed forces chief of staff Eyal Zamir said in a statement. 'If not, the combat will continue without rest.' Lieutenant-General Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. 'The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed, and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes,' he said. Alongside reports from UN-mandated experts warning a 'famine is unfolding' in Gaza, more and more evidence is emerging of serious malnutrition and deaths among the most vulnerable Palestinian civilians. Ms Modallala Dawwas, 33, living in a displacement camp in Gaza City told AFP her daughter Mariam had no known illnesses before the war but had now dropped from 25kg to 10kg and was seriously malnourished. Hamas' 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli fire killed 34 people in the territory on Aug 2. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said five people were killed in an Israeli strike on an area of central Gaza where Palestinians were awaiting a food distribution by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. He added that the Aug 2 strikes mostly targeted areas near Gaza City in the north and Khan Younis in the south. AFP
