Colombia massacre troops jailed

[Judi Lynn]

Page last updated at 08:22 GMT, Thursday, 8 May 2008 09:22 UK
Colombia massacre troops jailed

A Colombian army colonel and 14 other soldiers have received prison sentences of up to 54 years for the killing of 10 undercover police officers in 2006. Former Lt Col Bayron Carvajal was given 54 years for ordering the ambush near the southern town of Jamundi.

The police were lured to a medical centre by an informant who told them there was cocaine hidden there. When the undercover officers arrived, they and the informant were shot dead. No drugs were ever found.

Carvajal, who was not at the scene of the massacre, said he thought his troops were attacking leftist rebels who were working with drug traffickers.
(snip)

The dead officers belonged to an elite unit of Colombia's judicial investigative police, and had trained in the US.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7389430.stm

[Judi Lynn]

1. Former colonel gets 54-year term for massacre in Colombia

Former colonel gets 54-year term for massacre in Colombia
By CESAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer
Wed May 7, 11:21 PM ET

CALI, Colombia - A judge on Wednesday gave a 54-year prison term to a cashiered army lieutenant colonel who was convicted of ordering the massacre of 10 elite anti-drug police in an ambush on a lonely country road.

Judge Edmundo Lopez also slapped near-maximum sentences of 52 years on the unit's second-in-command, and 50 years each on the other 13 soldiers convicted of participating in the May 22, 2006 slaughter.

A motive was not determined in the case though senior police officials told The Associated Press they believe former Lt. Col. Byron Carvajal and his troops had been protecting a drug lord.
(snip)

There were numerous attempts to subvert the trial, including an auxiliary prosecutor's offer to help the defense in exchange for more than US$400,000 (euro260,000), senior police officials and prosecutors familiar with the case told The Associated Press. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing investigations, said the bribe was never paid and the prosecutor was removed from the case.

"One thing is clear. It was a massacre related to organized criminals," chief prosecutor Mario Iguaran told the AP in February.

Carvajal was found to have ordered the ambush in the town of Jamundi in western Colombia, where an informant had told police they would find at least 220 pounds (100 kilograms) of cocaine at a psychiatric center. When police pulled up, the soldiers cut them down with 420 bullets and seven grenades. No drugs were found and the informant was also gunned down.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080508/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/colombia_tainted_army