Due to the expiration of terms, the former secretary of the government of Meta, Hernán Gómez Niño, who was confined in the La Picota prison in Bogotá, was released.
The contractors Carlos Augusto Daza Orrego, imprisoned in the Villavicencio prison, and Claudia Ricaurte deprived of liberty in Buen Pastor, in the country’s capital, were also released.
Also read: Captured Hernán Gómez, Secretary of the Government of Meta
The release order was issued by the Sixth Municipal Criminal Court of Villavicencio, in compliance with a request from his defense attorney, who argued in the document that the Attorney General’s Office did not file the indictment within the time established by the Law.
However, Gómez Niño will continue to be linked to the corruption process and must continue to be presented whenever required by the Prosecutor’s Office.
Also read: Former government secretary of Meta and contractors jailed for acts of corruption in 2015
Investigation
In 2015, Gómez Niño would have irregularly managed the award of a contract for 4,752 million pesos, the purpose of which was the construction of a sewer system for the Puerto Aljure and Puerto Santander villages, in Fuentedeoro (Meta); along with the supervision contract that amounted to 218 million pesos.
Several bidders appeared in the tender to simulate a public tender. The evidence indicates that forms, signatures and seals of legally incorporated companies were used to organize false proposals and thus guarantee that a temporary union won the contract without difficulties.
The then mayor of Fuentedeoro, Guillermo Suárez Trujillo, allegedly knew of the illegal purpose and obtained from Cormacarena the resources to cover a Sanitation and Discharge Management Plan. The money from the contract for the construction of the aqueduct came from this project, which is the subject of investigation. For this action, the former president would have received 150 million pesos.
Another anomaly detected would be related to the transfer of 1,533 million pesos, without taking into account that the contract was suspended due to difficulties in easement agreements in various properties through which the sewerage network would pass.
The Prosecutor’s Office accused those investigated, according to the possible level of participation, of crimes such as undue interest in the conclusion of contracts, embezzlement by appropriation, falsehood in a private document and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Source: news – HOLA Casanare