President Gustavo Petro. Paul White/AP
Petro's employee resigns after bizarre scandal
Two of Colombian President Gustavo Petro's close associates - Laura Sarabia and Armando Benedetti - are resigning after a bizarre scandal involving a nanny, illegal wiretapping and a lost briefcase of cash, writes The Guardian.
Sarabia's nanny Marelbys Meza told local media on Monday that in January she was taken to a basement next to the presidential palace and accused of stealing a briefcase containing $7,000 from Sarabia's apartment. After that, Meza is said to have been forced to undergo a lie detector test.
An investigation has revealed that Colombian intelligence services tapped Meza's phone after police wrongly labeled her a member of Colombia's largest drug cartel, the Gulf Clan.
A "grotesque abuse of power" according to lawyer Francisco Barbosa.
- It is a regrettable day for the rule of law. Illegal wiretapping has returned to Colombia, he says.
Gustavo Petro and Defense Minister Ivan Velazquez during a police ceremony in Bogota. John Vizcaino / AP
The President: Government has nothing to do with this
Despite the fact that two people close to Gustavo Petro have been forced to resign after a wiretapping scandal, the Colombian president does not want to feel that the country's government has anything to do with the matter.
- This government respects human rights and does not conduct illegal wiretapping against anyone, Petros said during a speech at a military ceremony, according to AFP.
He also called former chief of staff Laura Sarabia, who is one of those who left her post, a "dear and valued" colleague.
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