Former Colombian President Uribe Says He Is Already Preparing Arguments To Appeal His Conviction -

(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said Friday that he is already preparing arguments to appeal the sentence imposed on him after being convicted in the first instance for procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings. “We need to think much more about the solution than the problem. That's why I'm preparing the arguments to support my appeal,” Uribe said on his X account. Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia, of the 44th Criminal Circuit Court of Bogotá, who last Monday sentenced Uribe, 73, for two crimes and acquitted him of simple bribery in a case that pits him against left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, summoned the parties at 2:00 pm (local time) for the reading of the sentence, which could be between four and eight years in prison.

However, the Prosecutor's Office has requested a longer sentence of nine years in prison. Attorney Jaime Granados, who is leading the former president's defense, announced this week that he will appeal the judge's decision to the Bogotá Superior Court on August 11, and that is what Uribe is already working on, the leader of the right-wing Democratic Center party said today. The Bogotá Superior Court has until October 16 to rule on the case, and the defense has not ruled out taking the case to the Supreme Court of Justice if the appeals court decision is unfavorable.

Uribe, who served as president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, noted today that in his presentations on leadership, he often says“that the most difficult crises are those that affect people,” like the one he is currently experiencing. “These personal crises require family, loved ones, friends, committed compatriots who have supported us, those who are distant but with objective curiosity. And, fundamentally, prayer,” added the former Colombian head of state.

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