The former director of now defunct Colombian intelligence agency DAS hid proof of the purchase of human intelligence sources, an ex-agency official told investigators Friday.
The former manager of human intelligence sources, William Romero, told the Inspector General’s Office that Maria del Pilar Hurtado meticulously hid any kind of evidence that linked her to paying bodyguards and other sources used by the agency in order to obtain privileged information about magistrates.
The statements, given as part of an investigation by the Inspector General into the payment of $6,200 to informants, was able to determine that the money-trail did not correspond to those who received the payments.
Fernando Brito, the inspector assigned to the investigation, said that according to the testimony of Romero, the tracks of those who received payments was covered up.
Fernando Tabares, a key witness in the DAS’ scandalous wiretapping case, ordered the person in charge of resources, Joaquin Polo, to cover up the digital fingerprints.
Fourteen people are being investigated for their alleged roles in the illegal wiretaps of journalists, judges, opposition politicians and human rights defenders.
