Colombian soldiers flee scam charges

The Colombian army has been fighting FARC for 38 years

Forty Colombian soldiers have been arrested and more than 100 are on the run after claims that a counter-terrorism unit shared out a cash haul recovered from left-wing rebels.

The 40 soldiers, including three officers, were arrested on corruption charges and arrest warrants have been issued for another 107.

The soldiers are said to have failed to report a huge sum of money they found during a raid on a hideout of Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), on 18 April.

The troops are accused of sharing out the find among themselves.

The army said the soldiers were later sent to another area, where a commander noticed that an unusual number of them applied to leave the army. Others simply deserted.

Army chief, General Carlos Ospina said the plot had been discovered after commanders requested an investigation.

"The army commander sent a group of investigators from Bogota who noticed that the soldiers from the 'D' division had used the money found in the creek," he said.

"The president of the republic, the defence minister, the commander of the armed forces and the commander of the army inform the public that they will not tolerate corrupt acts of any kind."

Rebels captured

Interior Minister Fernando Londono told a local radio station: "These people didn't commit embezzlement, but the crime of treason, betraying their army, betraying the faith of Colombians, betraying the honour of Colombia."

Meanwhile, Colombian authorities arrested 75 suspected FARC rebels in Florencia in Caqueta state during several operations on Monday.

The special forces also seized cash, weapons, chemical supplies and a gas pipe launching platform as well as several FARC files.

The army has waged a long campaign against the FARC who raise some of their money from kidnapping ransoms and drugs.