BOGOTA, July 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia’s intelligence chief, a close ally of President Gustavo Petro, resigned Friday after being accused by prosecutors of bribing lawmakers to speed up the passage of bills through parliament.
Petro wrote on the X social network that he had accepted “the resignation” of Carlos Ramon Gonzalez.
“His position as head of civil intelligence is incompatible with any judicial investigation,” he added.
Gonzalez was on Thursday accused by prosecutors of having given “instructions” to bribe the presidents of both houses of Parliament in exchange for speeding up the adoption of several government bills.
According to the prosecutor’s office, these bribes amounted to $1 million and were paid at the end of 2023 when Gonzalez was director of the presidency’s administrative department.
The resignation comes a day after prosecutors charged two former directors of the National Disaster Risk Management Unit (UNGRD) with embezzling public money intended to bribe parliamentarians.
The two accused said they were willing to strike a deal and give information to prosecutors in exchange for a reduced sentence.
In court testimony, the two men have implicated more than 20 officials and politicians close to the president, including former interior and finance ministers and Gonzalez.
Investigations have been opened into current Minister of Finance Ricardo Bonilla and former Interior Ministry chief Fernando Velasco, authorities said.
Gonzalez said on Thursday he was innocent and would cooperate with prosecutors.
Petro on Thursday called for “a thorough investigation into corruption, regardless of who falls.”
Petro came to power in 2022 with an ambitious program of social reforms. Parliament has rejected a bill to nationalize the health system but last week gave the green light to a pension reform. — NNN-AGENCIES
