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The congressman from Barranquilla faces a process before the Supreme Court of Justice for allegedly offering a bribe to a judge to favor a political ally.
Two days ago, the senator for the U Party, Eduardo Pulgar, presented his resignation from his seat. Through a letter, the Barranquilla congressman explained to the president of the Senate, Arturo Char, that it was impossible for him to continue with his work as a member of parliament, since he was in detention.
“I am writing to you to submit my resignation to the Senate of the Republic, as of the date, since since I was imposed an assurance measure by the Investigation Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, which recently became firm, It is impossible for me to continue exercising my position as senator and thus attend to the fulfillment of my functional duties ”, reads the letter with which Pulgar left his seat.
The letter was delivered to the secretariat of the Senate on February 10 and the resignation of the congressman, who is currently being held in the La Picota prison in Bogotá, has already been accepted. The measure against Pulgar is preventive since he faces a process before the Supreme Court of Justice for allegedly offering a bribe of $ 200 million for a judge to favor one of his political allies.
The scandal against the now former senator Eduardo Pulgar broke out thanks to a column by journalist Daniel Coronell. In this, some audios are revealed in which the coastal politician is supposedly heard speaking with the promiscuous judge of Usiacurí Andrés Rodríguez Caez. In this dialogue, Pulgar would have hinted at a millionaire sum for the judicial official to favor Luis Fernando Acosta Osío – one of his political allies – in a process over a family dispute for control of the Metropolitan University of Barraqnuilla.
“I want to appeal to the good relationship that you have (the judge and the former mayor of Usiacurí, Ronald Padilla, who introduced you) to see if you can help me, brother. That university gives me some very important votes and additionally … Here is a business … You tell me … and I go and say: for this play is worth so much and we will go ahead. It’s that simple ”, is heard in one of the audios revealed by Coronell.
Due to these events, the Supreme Court initiated investigations and ordered Pulgar’s preventive detention. This measure was taken on December 1, 2020. For the high court, Pulgar could be responsible for the crime of influence peddling and in freedom could hinder the investigations.
After the capture, the U Party decided to suspend Pulgar until he clarifies his judicial situation. This action was imitated by the Congressional Ethics Commission, which determined that the senator could not occupy his seat until the process in the Court was resolved. However, it is worth noting that none of these measures were taken after the audios against the congressman were known, but it took several months for the high court to act.
Pulgar’s resignation from his seat casts doubt on the future of his process before the Supreme Court. A similar case has been that of former president and senator Álvaro Uribe. He was arrested on a preventive basis by the Supreme Court, but resigned his inauguration as a senator seeking to have his case go to the Prosecutor’s Office, an entity in which he has had a more benign treatment by the prosecutor in the case, Gabriel Jaimes.
In the case of former President Uribe, the case went to the offices of the prosecuting body since the charges for which he was indicted were not related to his work as congressmen. However, the Supreme Court may maintain its jurisdiction, since the accusations against Senator Pulgar could point to his work as a congressman.
In addition to this criminal process, Pulgar also faces disciplinary investigations by the Attorney General’s Office. In this case, the controversy has been due to some photos in which the former senator of the U appears embracing with the current attorney Margarita Cabello. For some, these images would be proof of the politician’s closeness with the new attorney.
