The Delegate Prosecutor´s Office before the Supreme Court requested the judges  to pronounce an exemplary judgment against the former director of the currently officially closed Colombian intelligence agency (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad DAS) María del Pilar Hurtado and the former General Secretary from the President´s Office, Bernardo Moreno for  espionage related offenses.

The Prosecutor María Victoria Parra stated that it was a criminal enterprise that was created from the President´s Office, by the time of the facts, that used intelligence state resources in order to investigate magistrates, politicians, journalists and union leaders.

She stated, as an example, that former public servants from presidency, DAS, and Financial Analysis and Information Unit (UIAF), under their privileged position, issued and executed orders without a legal basis in order to discredit public people and individuals considered by government as targets and political objectives.

The delegate from the Attorney General´s Office also added that Bernardo Moreno and María del Pilar Hurtado were part of this criminal enterprise that committed several acts that affected and put at risk public administration, individual freedom, and the trust in institutions.

She also stated that this organization was in pursuit of stability and continuity in time since during a hearing it was possible to confirm each offense committed by the prosecuted people from year 2005 to 2009.

The prosecutor Parra stated that it was an organized power structure that was promoted by Bernardo Moreno by means of illegal actions that would be committed by the rest of the members of this illegal structure at the service of particular interests.

The prosecutor Parra said, according to the investigation, that Moreno informed the former director of DAS, María del Pilar Hurtado about the president´s interest, at that time, in obtaining confidential information about members of the Supreme Court, Piedad Córdoba, Gustavo Petro and journalist  Daniel Coronel.

As part of the closing statements, the prosecuting authority considered that the judgment against former senior officials must be exemplary for citizens and public servants since it is important to strengthen the State´s structure and preserve the harmony among Powers of State. And also because during the court proceedings, the level required by the Penal Code for each claim established in the rulings handed down by the Constitutional Court to request a conviction was confirmed, as mentioned in decree C-334 dated 2013 and the Supremes’ Court decree regarding the requirements for all the offenses attributed during this process.

Likewise, the prosecuting authority requested the honorable magistrates to convict  former DAS director for the offenses of conspiracy, abuse of public office, and unlawful wiretappings practices, embezzlement, negligent falsehood. Meanwhile, it requested to convict Moreno for the offenses of conspiracy, abuse of public office, and unlawful wiretappings practices.

The decision will be known days after the intervention of the defense attorneys, victims´ attorneys and the Inspector General´s Office.