In compliance with the decision made by the Council of State, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Jorge Fernando Perdomo Torres, chaired a ceremony in Medellin today in order to publically apologize for the disappearance of Juan Diego Ruíz Valencia which occurred on June 12, 1994 in Sonsón municipality (Antioquia).
The victim, who aspired to be mayor of that region from 1994 to 1997, was violently removed from his residence by armed men who identified themselves as members of the Attorney General Office while he was under house arrest. His whereabouts are unknown.
According to the ruling of the Council of State, there were irregularities and abuses in the actions taken by the prosecutor who conducted the investigation regarding Ruiz Valencia, therefore it condemned the Attorney General Office to pay the state for the damage and ordered the Attorney General to apologize publically to the family of the victim.
At the ceremony, the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Perdomo Torres admitted that some public servants involved in this criminal proceeding committed mistakes and explained that the investigation has been reopened and that will be under the prioritization system.
He further explained that due to budgetary situation of the institution, the disbursement of the compensation ordered by the State Council will be carried out at the first quarter of 2015. The senior official also announced that a criminal investigation will be conducted in order to establish the liability of public servants for the disappearance of Mr. Ruiz Valencia.