Colombian Court Jails
Lawmaker For Links to
Paramilitaries
Colombia's Supreme Court
Wednesday jailed a
pro-government lawmaker
for six years for links
to far-right
paramilitaries, the
United Self-Defense
Forces of Colombia (AUC).
Citing evidence revealed
by the AUC, the court's
criminal tribunal found
Rep. Eric Morris, who
had been governor of the
northern province of
Sucre and also a mayor,
guilty of conspiring
with the AUC.
Tribunal President
Alfredo Gomez said "the
testimony of (former AUC
leader) Jairo Castillo
was the fundamental
pillar of the
incriminating proof;
testimony to which the
court has given full
credibility."
Castillo, from exile in
Canada, said he was
present at a meeting
with Morris when the
then-governor of Sucre
promised to divert state
funds to the militias
who had backed his
successful campaign.
Gomez said Morris was
not eligible for house
arrest or a suspended
sentence and would
additionally have to pay
a fine of 348,000 U.S.
dollars.
The Supreme Court is
trying more than 50
cases against lawmakers
accused of links to the
AUC, which disbanded in
April 2006.
At least 16 lawmakers,
mostly from the ruling
party, are being held on
remand for collaborating
with the AUC, financing
their political
campaigns using AUC
funds and diverting
public resources to the
illegal organization.
The United States
classifies the AUC as
terrorist organization
and has requested the
extradition of several
of its leaders on
charges of being among
the nation's largest
cocaine traffickers.
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