Colombia's opposition leader charged with election fraud after denouncing massive corruption scheme

[Judi Lynn]

by Adriaan Alsema January 9, 2019

Colombian opposition Senator Gustavo Petro on Tuesday accused some of Colombia’s most powerful politicians and businessmen of mass embezzlement of state funds and was almost immediately charged with election fraud.

In a video published on his social media channels, Petro said that the Odebrecht scandal currently being investigated by a special prosecutor is part of a gigantic corruption racket that involves a series of major road infrastructure projects and implicates Colombia’s richest man and multiple allies of former President Alvaro Uribe.

The prosecution, which has been removed from the Odebrecht case because of Prosecutor General Nestor Humberto Martinez‘ alleged attempts to cover up the scandal, struck back within 24 hours and formally accused the anti-corruption advocate of receiving illegal campaign funds ahead of last year’s presidential elections.

Colombia’s mega-cartel, according to Petro
Petro said that the business cartel that worked with the Brazilian engineering firm is also tied to a corruption scandal in Bogota that led to the incarceration of former Mayor Samuel Moreno and a series of other infrastructure projects.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/opposition-leader-odebrecht-scandal-iceberg/

Gustavo Petro's Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Petro