BOGOTA, Colombia — The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro acknowledged Thursday that his father’s 2022 election marketing campaign obtained cash of doubtful origin, in accordance prosecutors investigating the son for alleged illicit enrichment and cash laundering.
Nicolás Petro, who was a legislator representing a northern coastal area, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors within the probe after being charged Tuesday.
Prosecutor Mario Andrés Burgos, who heads the investigation, stated the youthful Petro has revealed that unjustified will increase detected in his property got here from two people being questioned by Colombian authorities. The cash went partly into his personal accounts and partly into the marketing campaign that made his father Colombia’s first elected leftist president, the prosecutor stated.
On Tuesday, when he was charged, prosecutors stated the youthful Petro took 1000’s of {dollars} from drug traffickers and used it to purchase luxurious houses and costly vehicles. Nicolás Petro, 36, pleaded harmless to the fees, however agreed to cooperate with authorities.
The case has come at a time when Colombia’s president is shedding reputation and has been uncovered to assaults by opposition events, which have change into more and more reluctant to cooperate together with his legislative agenda.
The investigation stems from a surprising declaration made by the son’s former spouse, Daysuris Vásquez, to native information journal Semana in March.
Vasquez stated she was current at conferences the place Nicolás Petro organized a 600 million peso ($150,000) donation from a politician who was as soon as convicted in Washington of drug trafficking and who wished to contribute to Gustavo Petro’s 2022 presidential marketing campaign.
She accused her ex-husband of pocketing the cash and stated that the daddy’s presidential marketing campaign had no information of the donation.
On Thursday, prosecutors stated the “sources” within the case have been round $270,000 that was delivered by Samuel Santander Lopesierra and Gabriel Hilsaca to Nicolás Petro.
Lopesierra was convicted and extradited to the USA, the place he was sentenced for drug trafficking. Hilsaca is the son of Alfonso Hilsaca, who’s at the moment being prosecuted on prices of homicide and legal conspiracy in Colombia.
Burgos stated the president’s son has promised to ship audio recordings and documentary proof that might corroborate that a part of the cash he obtained was used to finance his father’s electoral marketing campaign with out being duly reported to authorities..
Prosecutors additionally accused Vásquez of co-operating within the cash laundering scheme and stated she helped her husband conceal 1000’s of {dollars} in money in suitcases that the couple stored at their house.
The couple, who not stay collectively, have been arrested Saturday and have been held on the headquarters of the Chief Prosecutor’s Workplace in Bogota.
Thursday’s listening to was held to listen to arguments on whether or not Nicolás Petro’s detention must be switched to deal with arrest.
The president has stated he wouldn’t intervene with the investigation, and wrote a message on X, the platform previously often known as Twitter, during which he stated he hoped his son would “mirror on his errors.”