They request the Prosecutor’s Office to seize the jet of lawyer Diego Cadena

Senator Iván Cepeda, former prosecutor Eduardo Montealegre and lawyers Ramiro Bejarano and Reynaldo Villalba asked the Attorney General’s Office to initiate the extinction of the domain right over the assets of lawyer Diego Cadena, former defender of former President Álvaro Uribe, among which is a Beechcraft 400 jet, which allegedly would have been used for the “Execution of illegal activities”.

This request was known while the Prosecutor’s Office formally accused the lawyer Cadena for the crimes of procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings.

The grounds for petitioning Cepeda, Montealegre, Bejarano and Villalba to the Prosecutor’s Office are due to the fact that apparently, some testimonies and statements in favor of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez and his brother Santiago Uribe Vélez, were obtained in prisons outside the national territory, and the aircraft was used for the displacement and execution of these “Criminal activities”.

In turn, the document makes a mention of the journalist’s column last Sunday Daniel Coronell, “Landed”, where it is revealed that Cadena’s plane was used in 2018 by Carlos Andrés Montalvo, an alleged “member of a drug trafficking organization that operates in Brazil.”

Likewise, the request sent to the office of the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa, argues that in the same column it is revealed that the aircraft, in the name of the Cadena Ramírez brothers, it is for sale, at a lower price than the market “in the framework of an effort to get out of it,” say the signatories.

“Due to the above, we ask the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Nation to initiate an action for the extinction of domain over all assets owned by Diego Javier Cadena, which are immersed in some grounds for termination of domain and, precautionary measures are adopted corresponding “, states the document.

By last, They ask that the alleged links of the lawyer Cadena with Carlos Montalvo, who “allegedly has links to drug trafficking, be investigated.”

Reasons why the senator, the former prosecutor and the two lawyers request the seizure of the aircraft and the other movable and immovable property “immersed in any cause of ownership.”

Daniel Coronell, in his column ‘Aterrizado’, assured that the judicial files of Diego Cadena, Álvaro Uribe Vélez’s former lawyer, could be of great interest to the United States authorities.

$ 460,000, about $ 1.8 billion is the sale price of Diego Cadena’s plane.

For his part, the third judge of knowledge of Bogotá recognized the senator Iván Cepada as a victim in the criminal proceeding against Diego Cadena and Juan José Salazar, for manipulation of witnesses to allegedly benefit former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez.

The judge pointed out that the senator from the Polo Democrático was the victim of the strategy to pressure witnesses, for which he received threats.

For February 8, 9 and 10, 2021, the preparatory hearings in this case were scheduled.

Today the jurist is being investigated for the visits he made to former paramilitaries, apparently to persuade them to speak in favor of Uribe before the Supreme Court of Justice, a process that included payments and alleged promises of gifts. On July 27, the Prosecutor’s Office charged him with the crimes of procedural fraud and bribery, and the judge ordered his house arrest.

Also involved in this process is Juan José Salazar, a lawyer and partner of Diego Cadena who, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, collaborated with the alleged bribery of former paramilitary Carlos Enrique Vélez, who is being held in the Palmira prison, Valle del Cauca. Salazar is also charged with the same crimes. This Thursday, October 29, the investigating body presented its formal accusation against the lawyers and, therefore, the now accused will face a trial.

According to the prosecutor in the case Daniel Hernández, in his indictment, in July 2017 Diego Cadena approached Carlos Enrique Vélez, who is serving a sentence in the Palmira prison (Valle del Cauca).

The lawyer arrived at the prison when visiting hours were ending, without prior agreement, and promised the inmate legal advice and payment of $ 200 million, of which he managed to deliver $ 48 million. In return, he asked Vélez to change his version against Álvaro Uribe and point out that Senator Iván Cepeda was the one who had approached him to testify falsely in Court.

In that sense, the prosecutor said, bank transfers were made distributed as follows: to María Melania Cosio Serna $ 200,000, María Elena Vélez $ 5,800,000, Daniela Paz $ 3,700,000, Eurídice Cortés Velasco $ 700,000, Erica López Castaño $ 100,000, Francisco Javier Vélez $ 200,000, María Elena Vélez $ 500,000. In addition, cash amounts for $ 18 million were delivered to José Fernando Ocampo Vélez, Ricardo Diosa $ 8,800,000 and Carlos Fernando Vélez $ 10 million. The Prosecutor’s Office assures that it has documentary support of these transactions that were made with the help of Vélez’s former lawyer, Samuel Arturo Sánchez Cañón, who served as an intermediary.

In this way, a new stage in the criminal process against the lawyers begins and on February 9, 10 and 11, 2021 the parties will meet again at the preparatory hearing for the trial.

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