Panama denies refugee status to Colombia’s fugitive former spy chief
Panama denies refugee status to Colombia’s fugitive former spy chief
Jan 13, 2015 posted by Adriaan Alsema
Colombia’s former spy chief can no longer count on the protection of the Panamanian government after its decision to not grant asylum to the disgraced former official accused of spying against presumed political enemies of former President Alvaro Uribe.
The director of Panama’s refugee agency told local newspaper La Prensa that Maria del Pilar Hurtado, the former director of the now-defunct Colombian intelligence agency DAS, had filed a second request for political asylum late last year, and that this request had been denied by the Panamanian government.
Hurtado fled Colombia in 2010 before being charged for multiple alleged crimes after judicial investigators found out that the DAS had carried out illegal spying operations against the Supreme Court, politicians, journalists and human rights workers.
The disgraced was one of numerous top officials, including Uribe’s former chief of staff, who were charged with abuse of power, conspiracy, the illegal use of communications equipment and fraud.
Hurtado was initially granted asylum by the administration of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, reportedly a personal friend of Uribe.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/panama-rejects-asylum-colombias-fugitive-former-spy-chief/
