Court officials on Wednesday arrested the former director of Colombia’s state agency responsible for distributing seized assets of drug traffickers for corruptly distributing the assets among friends.
Carlos Albornoz, the former director of the DNE, is facing 11 corruption-related criminal charges because the disgraced former official had auctioned off property to friends well below the market price. According to the prosecution, this caused a loss in income for the state.
In total, Albornoz’ alleged nepotism cost the state $13 million.
The former DNE director was initially charges in January, but was allowed to await sentencing at liberty as a judge ruled he posed no flight risk or a danger to society.
However, a second judge on Wednesday revoked that sentence and ordered the immediate arrest of Torres.
According to the judge, Albornoz is a danger to society, and the gravity and reach of the crimes he is suspected of merits his incarceration for the duration of the trial.
The administration of former President Alvaro Uribe appointed Torres, a former governor and senator, director of the DNE in 2006. The disgraced official was a part of the successful 2010 presidential campaign of sitting President Juan Manuel Santos.
