Colombia ex-justice chief jailed

Alberto Santofimio was sentenced to 24 years in prison for ordering a hit squad belonging to late drug baron Pablo Escobar to kill Mr Galan.

Santofimio was also standing for election and was an associate of Escobar, who was facing US extradition.

His trial was one of the most watched in Colombia in decades.

It involved the testimony of three former presidents and a former television diva who was Escobar's lover, as well as the head of Escobar's assassins, John Jairo Velasquez.

Juan Manuel Galan, son of the dead man, told the Associated Press news agency that the verdict had reaffirmed people's belief in the justice system.

Mr Galan, who was the Liberal Party candidate, had campaigned against corruption and drug-trafficking.

After his assassination on 18 August 1989, he was replaced by his campaign manager, Cesar Gaviria, who went on to win the election.

President responds

Elsewhere, the current Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe, demanded a full investigation into allegations made against him by a right-wing paramilitary leader, who accused him of having ordered the killing of another paramilitary chief.

Mr Uribe said he would welcome an investigation as it would prove his innocence.

The allegations stem from testimony the jailed paramilitary leader, Jose Moncada, gave to government prosecutors in which he linked Mr Uribe to the crime.

Mr Uribe has come under criticism from Colombia's Supreme Court for having accused a lower magistrate of the court of having bribed Mr Moncada into making the accusation.

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