Colombia’s Supreme Court has postponed the date of the wiretapping trial against former officials until November 19, reported newswire CM& Tuesday.
Maria del Pilar Hurtado, who served as the director of the now-defunct Colombian intelligence agency DAS, and former president Alvaro Uribe’s then Chief-of-Staff, Bernardo Moreno, are both on trial for involvement in illegal wiretapping.
The prosecution has alleged that they facilitated the unauthorized wiretapping of judges, political opponents, human rights activists and journalists.
Judge Fernando Castro determined that the board could not proceed with the trial at this current time as the court had commitments to other judgements.
On October 4, 2010, the Inspector General’s Office barred Moreno from holding public office for 18 years for allegedly ordering the wiretapping.
Del Pilar Hurtado fled Colombia in late 2010 and was eventually granted asylum by Panamanian authorities. In early February 2012, Panama denied Colombia’s request for Pilar to be extradited. In April of 2012, Colombian authorities responded by accusing Panama of undermining Colombia’s judicial system.
They will both face trial in the coming months for alleged involvement in the wiretap scandal.
