Follow-Up of Cases

Barrancabermeja (may 1998)
Newsletter No. 1
In August the Attorney General's Office ordered sanctions to be imposed on a captain, a lieutenant, a second lieutenant, and other members of the Armed Forces.

Eduardo Umaña Mendoza
Newsletter No. 1
Following the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office not to take further action, the investigation of one of the individuals linked to the case was closed in his favor, and an order was issued to cancel records against him. A request to cease the investigation of the other individual involved and have him released was rejected.

Mapiripán
Newsletter No. 2
The Superior Judicial Council settled in favor of the Prosecutor General's Office a conflict of competence with respect to two individuals. Indictments were returned against two individuals for establishing selfdefense groups, amongst other crimes. A conflict of competence regarding another two individuals was resolved in favor of the military penal justice system.

Puerto Alvira
Newsletter No. 2
The Attorney General's Office issued an order placing a person in preventive detention for aggravated homicide, aggravated robbery and conspiracy.

La Ceja
Newsletter No. 3
The Attorney General's  Office issued an order placing an Army officer  in preventive detention for establishing selfdefense  groups, amongst other at the time he was  appointeds comandant of the Brigade.

North American pro-indigenous activists
Newsletter No. 3
In the proceedings conducted by the Human Rights Unit of the Attorney General's Office, an order was issued to link a person to the case and summon that person to make a statement.

Villeta roadblock
Newsletter No. 4
The investigation into this case was assigned to the military penal justice system, and procedures were referred to the 10th Airborne Brigade, in its capacity as first instance court. Following a process conducted by the Superior Military Tribunal and after a first-instance confirmation, an officer was sentenced to 60 month's imprisonment for manslaughter and serious bodily harm inflicted through negligence, and an officer and two non-commissioned officers to 8 month's imprisonment for cover-up. Two soldiers were exonerated from the same crimes. The case against two non-commissioned officers and five soldiers for manslaughter and serious bodily harm inflicted through negligence was dismissed. A disciplinary investigation conducted by the Attorney General's Office, resulted in convictions.

Benjamín Khoudari
Newsletter No. 4
Álvaro Guerrero-Cárdenas and Fabio-Ramiro Casallas-González had recourse to early judgment, in connection with their participation in the crimes of aggravated kidnapping and extortion, in addition to aggravated homicide of a particularly malicious nature. Mr. Casallas-González was also involved in illegal manufacturing and trafficking in arms and ammunition exclusively intended for the use of the Military Forces. In April the Prosecutor General's Office laid endictment to two army officers and against another person, among those invloved. The Office also closed the investigation of the other officer, a lieutenant. Following the investigation, conducted by the Human Rights Section of the Attorney General's Office, five members of the Armed Forces were indicted.

Blanquicet
Newsletter No. 5
A Superior Judicial Council's decision dated September 9, 1999, assigned the investigation into the so-called "Blanquicet Case" to the military criminal justice system, more specifically to the commander of the National Army's First Division, based in Santa Marta. The Military Court annuleed proceedings contacted so far, and reminded the case for new procedures. The case is now at a pre-trial stage in the court of first instance.

Gutiérrez
Newsletter No. 6
The Attorney General's Office linked two members of the FARC to the case and summoned them to make a statement. The case against one of those involved was decided, and the Office resolved not to take further action. An order was issued to take the statement of José-Máximo Calderón, alias "Albeiro".

Gabarra and Tibú
Newsletter No. 6
In connection with the events of July 17, 1999, a resolution of March 13, 2000 linked 7 police officers and the Tibú Police commander to the case, and summoned them to make a statement. All of them are now in custody and their cases are pending. By the same resolution, an Army major, the commander of the military base, was linked to the case. The Prosecutor General's Office ordered his arrest without bail for his membership of hit men groups, in addition to multiple homicide for terrorist ends, and participation in attempted murder.

The investigation into this case was assigned to the military penal justice system, and procedures were referred to the V Brigade, in its capacity as first instance court.

In connection with the events of August 21, 1999, in December the Prosecutor General's Office ordered a preliminary investigation and linked a National Army captain on active duty for alleged membership of self defense groups. It was ordered that an Army captain be kept in preventive detention for his membership of hit men groups, in addition to participation in multiple homicide for terrorist ends.