The Attorney General’s Office brought José Luis Fernández Zabala to justice for his alleged responsibility in illegal economic demands from a merchant in Puerto Gaitán (Meta).
For these facts, a prosecutor charged him with aggravated extortion, but he did not plead guilty to the charges.
According to the investigation, the merchant received phone calls at the beginning in which money was demanded in exchange for not harming his life or properties. Due to pressure, the victim transferred more than 43,000,000 COP to six different people, including Fernández Zabala, since February 2, 2024.
Police and Army arrested the defendant in a rural area of San Andrés in Cuerquia (Antioquia), by virtue of a court order.
A judge imposed a sentence of home confinement.
The information contained in this press release corresponds to the narration of the objective news provided by the officials in charge of carrying out 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.