Today, a Prosecutor assigned to the National Unit against Terrorism has attended the opening of the Preparation Hearing (Pre-trial) against Vladimiro Montesinos, former advisor of the Peruvian National Intelligence Service (SIN) and 57 others who were prosecuted for alleged dealing, manufacturing or carrying of weapons of exclusive use of the national army and criminal association.
The facts investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office happened in 1999, when Montesinos would have coordinated an international weapons dealing operation from Jordan, intended for Farc guerrillas in Colombia, which would have involved members of the Farc s’ top leadership, as well as Russians, Ukrainians, Peruvians, Jordanians, Lebanese and a Franco-American national.
Apparently, Tomás Medina Caracas, alias Negro Acacio, commander of the Farc’s 16th front, would have made approaches to Montesinos emissaries, who pledged to bring more than 50 thousand rifles to the Guainía jungle, in the Colombian Southeast, with destination to the guerrilla group. Of those firearms, ten thousand were only paradropped in the jurisdiction of Barrancominas town.
The war material was threw down in boxes, containing 2,500 rifles, since the allegedly purchase would have legally made by Peruvian authorities.
The virtual hearing was transmitted between the naval base of El Callao – Peru and Second Special Circuit Criminal Court in Villavicencio. From there, Montesinos expressed its desire to be represented by Colombian lawyers because of ignorance of our legislation and said that would reject the intervention of Colombian justice, because he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the same case by the Superior Court of Lima.
The Court suspended the hearing until further notice, since a legal proceeding with Peru is requested to be forwarded copies of the convictions against the defendants and thus examine whether this request is appropriate.