Colombia replaces finance minister amid corruption scandal

By Carlos Vargas and Nelson Bocanegra

BOGOTA (Reuters) -Colombian President Gustavo Petro mentioned on Wednesday that finance vice minister Diego Guevara will step into that ministry’s prime job, after earlier minister Ricardo Bonilla resigned amid an ongoing corruption scandal.

Petro had mentioned earlier on Wednesday he was anticipating Bonilla’s resignation, however that he doesn’t suppose the previous minister has dedicated any wrongdoing.

The rising scandal, which is being investigated by the legal professional normal’s workplace and different entities, revolves across the alleged misdirection of assets from the nationwide catastrophe administration company (UNGRD) and has been tied to numerous officers, together with a former inside minister.

“It is going to be Dr. Guevara, the present vice minister, a college professor, who is aware of the entire effort we have now been preventing,” Petro informed journalists after a gathering in Montevideo with outgoing Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, when requested about Bonilla’s substitute.

Bonilla mentioned in his resignation letter that he wanted to “assume my protection as a citizen with my authorized crew, devoid of my public place, to focus on the method and keep away from no matter harm from affecting the federal government’s public agenda.”

Bonilla added he was extremely assured he would persuade investigators of his innocence.

The scandal ignited earlier this yr when two former UNGRD officers had been accused of ties to suspicious purchases of water tankers for 46.8 billion pesos ($10.5 million), which had been supposedly purchased to produce distant areas of Colombia’s La Guajira province with water.

The Supreme Courtroom referred to as on former Inside Minister Luis Fernando Velasco to testify within the probe, saying its investigation “begins with the speculation of the crimes of bribery and potential illicit enrichment.”

UNGRD former deputy director Sneyder Pinilla, one of many two officers investigated, mentioned former presidents of the senate and chamber of representatives, Ivan Title and Andres Calle, obtained big sums of cash to assist push the president’s social and financial reforms by Congress.

Each Title and Calle denied the accusations.

“I count on his resignation, not as a result of I consider him responsible, however as a result of they wish to tear him aside for being loyal to the federal government’s program they usually wish to unconstitutionally take down the federal government,” Petro mentioned earlier in a protracted posting on X.

Petro has repeatedly accused his political enemies of looking for to illegally take away him from workplace.

Bonilla is the second finance minister to go away Petro’s authorities, which took energy in August 2022.