memorandum of justification concerning human ... - Just the Facts

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Investigations Unit (CTI) in an apartment in Santa Marta. A prosecutor for human
rights and international humanitarian law charged him on November 15, 2006, for
his alleged role as intellectual author in aggravated criminal conspiracy, aggravated
forced disappearance, and aggravated homicide. Eudaldo Leon Diaz Salgado, the
mayor of El Roble (Sucre), disappeared on April 5, 2003, and his body was
discovered five days later near Sincelejo. Evidently, Arana Sus recruited Rodrigo
Mercado Peluffo, alias ―Cadena,‖ head of the Heroes of Montes de Maria bloc, to
assassinate Diaz Salgado. The case will be processed under the Criminal Court of
the Special Circuit in Sincelejo. On April 22, 2009, the Prosecutor General‘s
Office and the Inspector General‘s Office presented their cases to the First
Specialized Judge of Bogotá; the case is still under review.
6) Luis Carlos Ordosgoitia: The former Congressman from Cordoba and Director of
the National Concessions Institute (INCO) in the Ministry of Transportation, was
arrested in May 2007 for his involvement in the signing of the 2001 ―Pact of
Ralito.‖ The Attorney General‘s Office ruled out the case once it was established
that there was no political benefit related to his signing of the Ralito document.
Ordosgoitia was absolved in September 2008 after spending 16 months in prison.
7) Hugo Aguilar Naranjo: The retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Colombian
National Police and former Governor of Santander department is under
investigation by the Prosecutor General‘s Office (Fiscalia). He was charged on
February 16, 2007, for the crimes of appropriation of public funds, irregular
adjudication of contracts in liquor and gambling industries in Santander. On June
25, 2009, the demobilized AUC member Alexander Gutierrez, aka ―Picua,‖
reported in his voluntary confession that Aguilar had offered weapons and
ammunition in exchange for Picua‘s assistance on Aguilar‘s campaign for
governor‘s office.
8) Álvaro Araujo Noguera: The former Minister of Agriculture is being investigated
by the Prosecutor General‘s office (Fiscalia), by request of the Supreme Court, for
the crimes of aggravated kidnapping and conspiracy to commit a crime (colluding
with paramilitary groups). He was arrested in Maracaibo, Venezuela on September
4, 2008. On April 17, 2009, a prosecutor of the National Unit Against Kidnapping
and Extortion (UNASE) gave a resolution of accusation against Noguera and his
son, Álvaro Araujo Castro, former Senator of Cesar department, during the
investigation of the kidnapping of political rival Victor Ochoa Daza on January 13,
2002, in Valledupar. Alvaro Araujo Noguera is imprisoned in the La Picota prison
in Bogota while Castro is under house arrest due to medical reasons.
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