Colombian Ex-Official Exposes Bribes Paid to Congress Members, Implicating High-Ranking Officials and President Gustavo Petro’s Government.

An ex-official in Colombia on Friday confessed that he used state funds from the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) to pay bribes to Senate and House of Representatives presidents, Iván Name and Andrés Calle, respectively. The bribes were intended to ensure the approval of social reforms presented by the government in Congress. Snyder Pinilla, former deputy director of UNGRD, made the allegations in an interview with Semana magazine and has caused a stir in Colombia as it implicates high-ranking officials and affects President Gustavo Petro’s government.

Pinilla disclosed that he used UNGRD funds to pay Name 3,000 million pesos and Calle 1,000 million pesos in cash to support health, pension, and labor reforms. The money was supposed to come from a contractor who failed due to technical issues in a project aimed at purchasing tanker trucks for water supply in La Guajira. Pinilla also implicated other officials, including the former director of UNGRD, the Minister of the Interior, and an advisor for the Regions.

In response to the allegations, the Colombian Presidency issued a statement reiterating its zero-tolerance policy on corruption and ordered an investigation into misuse of public resources with support from the United States Embassy. Pinilla further revealed details about how the bribes were delivered through a high advisor acting as a messenger for Senator Name. Despite denials from Name and Calle, Pinilla’s defense attorney stated that he is willing to return embezzled money.

Following Pinilla’s revelations, calls were made for Sandra Ortiz’s resignation as an advisor for Regions and further investigations into corruption allegations against Name and other accused officials. Name continues to deny these allegations while defending his integrity in public service. Investigations are ongoing to uncover fully extent of this corruption scandal and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.

In conclusion, these accusations have caused shockwaves throughout Colombia as they involve high-ranking officials and threaten President Gustavo Petro’s government. As investigations continue, it remains uncertain how this scandal will unfold or what consequences it will bring for those involved.