Colombian Court Overturns Uribe's Conviction in Witness Tampering Case

A Colombian court overturned former President Alvaro Uribe's conviction in a lengthy legal saga involving alleged witness tampering. Uribe was the first former president to be criminally convicted in Colombia. The decision cited insufficient evidence. His political rival, Senator Ivan Cepeda, plans to appeal the ruling.

In a landmark decision, a Colombian court has overturned the conviction of former President Alvaro Uribe, clearing him of charges related to fraud and bribery. The legal proceedings revolved around allegations of witness tampering that could have placed Uribe under house arrest for 12 years.

The court cited insufficient evidence in the case that made Uribe the first former president in Colombia to be criminally convicted. The reversal comes after a three-magistrate panel ruled that the evidence used against Uribe was neither strong nor legally valid, as Magistrate Manuel Antonio Merchan read in the decision.

Senator Ivan Cepeda, involved in the case, has announced an appeal, potentially extending this 13-year legal saga. Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro criticized the court's decision as a cover-up for paramilitary governance, while political campaigns loom ahead of next year's elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)