Skip to main content
BBC NEWS / AMERICAS
Graphics VersionBBC Sport Home
News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |
22:06 GMT, Wednesday, 25 June 2008 23:06 UK

Colombian ex-lawmaker took bribe

President Alvaro Uribe (file image)

A former Colombian politician has been sentenced to three years' house arrest for taking a bribe to enable President Alvaro Uribe to stand for re-election.

Yidis Medina admitted she had accepted the bribe in return for her support in Congress for a constitutional change letting Mr Uribe run for a second term.

Mr Uribe and other high-ranking members of his government have denied offering her any inducements for her vote.

A number of politicians are under investigation over bribery claims.

Colombia's Supreme Court sentenced Medina to three years and four months of house arrest. She had faced a maximum sentence of eight years in jail.

She has been held without bail in Bogota since April.

The bribery allegations dated to 2004, when a constitutional change approved by Congress allowed Mr Uribe to stand for a second term. He won re-election in 2006 by a wide margin.

Medina told the court she had been offered political favours by government officials, with the knowledge of Mr Uribe, in return for changing her vote to support the amendment, El Tiempo newspaper reports.



E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:
Timeline: Colombia (08 Jun 08 |  Country profiles )
Country profile: Colombia (04 Mar 08 |  Country profiles )
Colombia's Uribe wins second term (29 May 06 |  Americas )
Colombian leader cleared for poll (12 Nov 05 |  Americas )
Uribe nearer to re-election bid (18 Jun 04 |  Americas )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Colombian government
El Tiempo
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC NEWS: 

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia | UK | Business | Health | Science & Environment | Technology | Entertainment | Also in the news | Have Your Say |

NewsWatch | Notes | Contact us | About BBC News | Profiles | History

^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©