Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe committed the crimes of procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings, a judge said during the reading of a verdict in a case that began in 2018.
Judge Sandra Heredia of Bogotá’s 44th Criminal Court is still reading the ruling.
Uribe has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He maintained that position throughout the 67-day trial, during which he clashed with Senator Iván Cepeda, of the ruling Pacto Histórico party.
In 2012, Uribe had accused Cepeda of trying to link him to the creation of a paramilitary group — a charge Cepeda rejected — but the Colombian Supreme Court ruled that Uribe should be investigated for alleged witness tampering.
This is a developing story that has been updated and will be updated.
CNN’s Michael Rios contributed to this story.