Three of the detainees received a prison sentence for their alleged participation in the acts that caused the fire of the Palace of Justice in Tuluá.
The Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, in the company of his executive staff, arrived in Tuluá to verify the investigative actions that seek to clarify and find those responsible for the violent acts that occurred in the municipality.
In this sense, he announced the arrest of nine people who were involved in the acts of vandalism that took place on May 25.
“I want to tell the people of Valle del Cauca and Tuluá that the Office of the Attorney General and the National Police arrested nine people. Three of them are involved in the fire and terrorist attack against the Palace. A judge imposed a prison sentence against the defendants”, stated the Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa.
The three people arrested and prosecuted are: Hugo Ferney Carrión Trejos, Jhon Jairo Toro Méndez and José Mauricio Ramírez Lozada. The investigations reveal that they allegedly participated in the facts that caused the burning of the palace by covering their faces and generated anxiety in the community.
Likewise, the three defendants are allegedly responsible for the looting of a motorcycle shop. When the people were arrested, five of the vehicles that had been stolen from the place were recovered.
The Office of the Attorney General charged them with terrorism, theft, and violent protest. A judge issued a prison sentence.
On the other hand, six people who were allegedly linked to attacks against public entities and banks in the municipality last Tuesday were arrested.
“The remaining six people appeared before a judge due to the looting that took place downtown Tuluá when they attacked shops and people who work in this area every day. They also attacked the headquarters of the Mayor’s Office, the Attorney Generals’ Office and part of public assets of this municipality” stated the Attorney General.
The hearings against these six people are underway, and the Attorney General´s Office will charge them with terrorism, threats, obstruction and damage to someone else’s property.
The Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa, expressed his solidarity with the citizens of Tuluá and rejected the acts of violence that affect the right to a peaceful protest.
“The Office of the Attorney General will continue fulfilling its constitutional mission of investigating all the facts that constitute crimes and avoiding that institutions are undermined. We will continue producing results and firmly fighting against crime”, he concluded.
When we speak, results follow.
The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out the criminal investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. By the time this communication is disclosed, the legal status of the people mentioned is still pending to be resolved by the competent judicial authority, always under the presumption of innocence contemplated by Article 29 of the Political Constitution and Article 7 of Law 906 of 2004.