The Seventh Prosecutor assigned to the National Unit of Counter- Terrorism has imputed the offence of manufacture, trafficking and carrying of weapons and ammunition for exclusive use of the armed forces to two officers (one retired) and two non-commissioned officers of the national army, as well as a private person, and has also requested to be imposed on them a preventive detention for their alleged involvement in the delivery of war material to the Farc.
The delegated prosecutor said that the uniformed officer took out the armament of the military bases warehouses and camouflaged it in their vehicles in order to deliver it then to the links of the guerrilla group.
The first arrest took effect against first corporal in the Fourth Brigade in Medellin. Subsequently, a first Sergeant and a Lieutenant on active service were arrested in Ibagué city and they later were transferred to Bogota, where an arrest legalization hearing was held before the Seventh Criminal Judge, acting as Supervisory Judge.
The investigation stems from fragmentation grenades, among other war material, found in May 2012 on the road between Garzon town (Huila) and Florencia city (Caqueta).
According to the investigators, approximately 200 grenades were addressed to insurgents’ structures such as: the tenth front, and Eastern blocks and South. Apparently, the armament was stolen from military bases of Tolemaida in Melgar town (Tolima), and from Larandia, in rural area of Florencia.
“To take out armament and deliver it to the guerrillas is not an activity of military service”, stated the Prosecutor in the case when she challenged the defense request of the accused individuals, so the case was known by the military criminal justice system.
Three of the accused were imprisoned in la Picota Prison in the south of Bogotá city, and the Judge has given to another individual a house arrest.
Concerning a fifth accused individual, a woman, she also will be arrested in her house because she is a head of household.