1. Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office requested the criminal prosecution annulment conducted against Carlos Cardenas, even from the accusation for their alleged involvement in the murder of college student Luis Andrés Colmenares Escobar. This request was supported by Colombia’s Inspector General and the representative of the victim.

2. When charges were brought and accusation was conducted against Carlos Cardenas, there were statements that placed him at the crime scene and indicated him as the person who beat Luis Andres Colmenares Escobar. Currently there are evidentiary samples supervening that undermine them.

3. At the time, versions did not generate reasons for doubt. However, in prosecution conducted against Mr. Daniel Giraldo Gómez and others, and thanks to the effective, timely and serious investigation by the Prosecutor in the case, Dr. Martha Lucía Zamora and the Technical Investigation Team CTI, it have collected more than 25 physical evidence and evidentiary samples, supervening the accusation in Carlos Cárdenas’ case, material elements that generate serious and well-grounded doubts about the veracity of the statements given by witnesses.

4. The Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office has the constitutional and legal duty to investigate comprehensively and objectively.  It respects due process, the right of the defense and guarantees the reconstruction of the truth and the fulfillment of a real justice to the victims. Facing supervening circumstances which arise in the case, the procedural channel more protective with those involved in prosecution is to request its annulment.

5. Because of described facts, Attorney General’s Office will open a criminal investigation for false testimony, procedural fraud and fraud of grant, against Jose Wilmer Ayola Lerma, Jesús Alberto Martínez Durán and Jhonatan Andrés Martínez Ortiz, who had declared in this judicial action. It had requested an arrest warrant in order to accuse and impose precautionary measure against them. Everything demonstrates that these people are part of a strategy to lead into error and divert the course of the investigation.

6. The above does not imply that it will not continue the investigation against Mr. Carlos Cardenas nor discard his alleged involvement. On the contrary, the consequence of the annulment request will consist of the reorientation of the investigation, for which there is already a methodological plan that will be put into operation.

7. The Attorney General’s Office is maintained in the thesis, according to which there are serious elements to hold that Luis Andrés Colmenares death was not an accident, but everything points to a homicide. Although the annulment was requested, the investigation must continue, for which it will be necessary to await the outcome of other evidentiary material items.

8. The decision taken by the Attorney General’s Office in this investigation, from a procedural point of view, does not affect the case advanced against Laura Moreno and Jessy Quintero.

9. The annulment requested by the Prosecutor’s Office will be resolved by a Presiding Judge on Tuesday, January 22, at a hearing scheduled for 10: 30 in the morning.