The Colombian Supreme Court of Justice ordered the detention of former Senate presidents Iván Name and House of Representatives president Andrés Calle for their alleged participation in the corruption scandal of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD).
The decision was made by the Instruction Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, as part of the investigation against Name, from the Green Alliance, and Calle, from the Liberal Party, for the offenses of improper bribery and embezzlement for the benefit of third parties.
In May of last year, former UNGRD deputy director Sneyder Pinilla revealed that UNGRD funds were used in 2023 to pay million-dollar bribes to Name and Calle when they were presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
The money was diverted from that allocated for the purchase of 40 water tank trucks to supply water to the Caribbean department of La Guajira. It was found that the acquired vehicles did not meet technical conditions, among other irregularities.
According to the Court, in those contracts, the congressmen intervened as presidents of the Senate and House of Representatives and received cash payments from the former deputy director of Disaster Management.
The Court detailed that the legislators had committed to promoting reforms in Congress in exchange for the supposed delivery of funds, intended to finance electoral campaigns in 2023.
The corruption scandal in the UNGRD was uncovered by the press in February of last year and has since escalated, reaching high-ranking government officials, including then-Minister of Finance Ricardo Bonilla and former director of the National Intelligence Directorate (DNI) of Colombia, Carlos Ramón González.
Bonilla has been accused of coordinating the awarding of contracts to benefit congressmen in exchange for legislative support, while González was indicated for ordering the payment of bribes in exchange for government support.
The investigation continues to reveal details about this corruption scandal that has shaken Colombia and led to the detention of several high-ranking public officials involved.
