The sixth Criminal Court of Manizales, with functions of supervising judge issued a preventive detention order against former Mayor of Manizales, Juan Manuel Llano Uribe, due to misappropriations occurred in the acquisition of the seats for Palogrande Stadium.
The decision also affects Raul Diomedes Guerrero Laverde, technician of the manufacturing industry of Guerfor S.A. chairs, and Nicolás Fernando Méndez Borda, external adviser as the Prosecutor’s Office charged them with embezzlement by appropriation and undue interest in the execution of contracts.
The administration of the municipality signed the above mentioned contract with Guerfor company before the U-20 World Cup 2010, which would have incurred in a overrun of approximately 500 million pesos.
As it could be established, the Mayor’s Office of Manizales allegedly paid a 30 percent more than other cities such as Pereira (Risaralda) and Armenia (Quindío) for the same seats, to this company.
The Defense appealed the decision. However, the defendant will remain under arrest for the offenses of embezzlement by appropriation, undue interest in the execution of contracts and contract without compliance of legal requirements.
Last week, the General Prosecutor’s Office also charged Roberto Arias Aristizabal, former Secretary of Planning Office ; Orlando Marin Mejia, the Former Chief of Goods Maintenance Group from the municipality; Esperanza Salazar Grisales, Legal ex-secretary; Carlos Arturo Buriticá Atehortúa, former Secretary of Sports; Javier Eduardo Torres Martínez, former Secretary of Public Works; Gilberto Antonio Ríos Sánchez, employee from the Department of public works; Dario Gallego Posada and Jairo Hoyos Londoño, employee from the Treasury Secretariat . None accepted the charges.