Bogota’s jailed ex mayor faces two new charges against him amid claims of corruption during his time in office.
Samuel Moreno, who was suspended from office in May of 2011 and arrested in September of the same year, faces two more charges; conspiracy and embezzlement.
The disgraced mayor is already fighting a trial accusing him of being a member of a group of politicians, lawyers and private business owners accused of rigging the distribution of contracts concerning public works in Bogota.
New evidence claims he had an “active participation” in the scandal. Colombian radio station La W reported the cases chief prosecutor as saying “between December 2007 and mid-2010 he agreed to commit certain offenses against the public,”
Moreno has been facing charges of bribery, embezzlement by appropriation, extortion and undue interest in the conclusion of contracts since his arrest in late 2011.
The ex-mayor’s lawyer Jesus Vergara will face the task of invalidating the evidence used, as the facts have already been used for other charges, this would be considered what is known as ”double counting”, however, the prosecution claimed one charge is concerning just over $15.3 million whereas another, apparently supported by different evidence of the same nature, concerns almost $105 million.
If found guilty, Moreno could face up to 21 years in prison.
