Colombia’s Supreme Court has ordered the detention of a sitting member of Congress, Lucero Cortes, for allegedly trying to influence a judge, Caracol Radio reported Wednesday.
Cortes is to begin serving house arrest while investigations are carried out into allegations that she tried influencing Judge Rafael Velez Fernandez of the Superior Judicial Council who was involved in presiding over a case against her husband, businessman Manuel Rincon Guevara.
The congresswoman’s defense attorney, German Palacio, has denounced the decision against his client, saying it is disproportionate based on the crime and based on inconsistent evidence.
In two separate cases on Wednesday, the Supreme Court called to trial former Senator Javier Caceres and former House of Representatives member for Guainia, Pedro Nelson Pardo Rodriguez.
Caceres was arrested last September for his alleged links to paramilitary groups while Rodriguez was arrested April 1, this year for alleged “farcpolitics.”
