In 2012, he accused a fellow senator, Iván Cepeda, of bribing witnesses in a conspiracy to connect Uribe to paramilitaries. But, in 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed the case against Cepeda and instead began investigating whether Uribe had been manipulating witnesses in the case, in an obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors under previous presidential administrations have unsuccessfully requested to close the case against him, and last year, Colombia’s attorney general charged Uribe with witness bribing and procedural fraud. Prosecutors accused Uribe of sending his lawyer to persuade and bribe a former paramilitary member to alter testimony in Uribe’s favor and deny that the former president had connections to the groups.
In a Monday hearing that lasted more than 10 hours, Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia read the ruling that found Uribe guilty of two crimes and acquitted him in a third case of simple bribery.
“Álvaro Uribe Vélez knew that his actions were illegal,” Heredia said.
For many Colombians, the verdict was one of the most consequential court decisions in the country’s recent history, punctuating the career of a towering and polarizing figure.
Heredia said the former president could serve his sentence under house arrest, though it is not yet clear. He can also appeal the conviction.
