Colombia-Samper
8-3-1995
^By ANDREW SELSKY=
^Associated Press Writer=
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) _ Despite growing evidence his election campaign accepted money from drug traffickers, President Ernesto Samper is staying silent about the scandal which claimed first his campaign treasurer and now its director.
Defense Minister Fernando Botero, who directed Samper's 1994 presidential bid, resigned Wednesday amid accusations the campaign accepted millions of dollars from the Cali cartel, the world's most powerful crime gang.
Samper and Botero have both denied knowing of any Cali cartel funding in last year's campaign. But a relentless investigation by the prosecutor general's office is gathering evidence that points increasingly to Samper as a conspirator.
Prosecutor General Alfonso Valdivieso, who is heading the probe of Cali cartel corruption of politics, said he will hand over evidence to a congressional panel which is preparing to investigate Samper.
Among the evidence Valdivieso has compiled are statements by Santiago Medina, Samper's campaign treasurer who was arrested on July 26, that Samper and Botero gave him the go-ahead to use Cali cartel money in the election campaign, according to published reports.
Medina testified that during the campaign he received $1.7 million in cash from cartel associates, delivered in gift-wrapped cardboard boxes, the newspaper El Espectador reported Wednesday.
Medina said Botero told him campaign donations from illegal sources were being kept in a Chase Manhattan Bank account in New York, El Espectador said.
In testimony published today, Medina says Botero told him to thank Cali drug traffickers on Samper's behalf for donations.
"The candidate Samper appreciates the support you offer and values your help in his bid to become president," Medina reportedly told drug traffickers at a meeting in Cali last year.
Medina also said he told traffickers that Samper favored a penal code that granted big sentence reductions to traffickers who surrendered. After Samper was elected, however, Medina said a Cali kingpin summoned him to complain the government wasn't cooperating with the cartel.
Lee Brown, the director of the White House office of drug control policy, called the allegations that the Samper campaign used drug money to gain the presidency "very disturbing."
Brown told The Associated Press that if they proved true and went unpunished, U.S. anti-narcotics aid to Colombia could be cut. The United States spends $70 million a year in Colombia on the anti-drug fight, according to the U.S. Embassy.
Enrique Parejo, a former justice minister and a crusader against drug traffickers, said the Samper administration is "an illegal government" and that the president should step down.
Hours after Botero quit, Samper would not discuss the case with reporters seeking reaction. The only word from the presidential palace was a communique saying Samper "regretfully" accepted the resignation. The statement said the minister had resigned because of "questions in the press and in elite circles in Bogota" about Botero's actions.
Botero told a crowd of reporters in the defense ministry he was submitting his "irrevocable resignation" to answer the allegations against him. No replacement was immediately named.
"The last days have been the most difficult of my life." Botero said, his voice quavering.
Indications that the Cali cartel helped Samper become president first emerged last year in audiotapes of leaders of the drug gang discussing making contributions to his election campaign.
But, lacking proof, U.S. officials decided to put aside their suspicions that the Samper administration was tainted and to judge it on its fight against the traffickers. Under pressure from Washington, Colombia cracked down on the Cali cartel and put five drug kingpins behind bars in the last two months.
^By ANDREW SELSKY=
^Associated Press Writer=
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) _ Despite growing evidence his election campaign accepted money from drug traffickers, President Ernesto Samper is staying silent about the scandal which claimed first his campaign treasurer and now its director.
Defense Minister Fernando Botero, who directed Samper's 1994 presidential bid, resigned Wednesday amid accusations the campaign accepted millions of dollars from the Cali cartel, the world's most powerful crime gang.
Samper and Botero have both denied knowing of any Cali cartel funding in last year's campaign. But a relentless investigation by the prosecutor general's office is gathering evidence that points increasingly to Samper as a conspirator.
Prosecutor General Alfonso Valdivieso, who is heading the probe of Cali cartel corruption of politics, said he will hand over evidence to a congressional panel which is preparing to investigate Samper.
Among the evidence Valdivieso has compiled are statements by Santiago Medina, Samper's campaign treasurer who was arrested on July 26, that Samper and Botero gave him the go-ahead to use Cali cartel money in the election campaign, according to published reports.
Medina testified that during the campaign he received $1.7 million in cash from cartel associates, delivered in gift-wrapped cardboard boxes, the newspaper El Espectador reported Wednesday.
Medina said Botero told him campaign donations from illegal sources were being kept in a Chase Manhattan Bank account in New York, El Espectador said.
In testimony published today, Medina says Botero told him to thank Cali drug traffickers on Samper's behalf for donations.
"The candidate Samper appreciates the support you offer and values your help in his bid to become president," Medina reportedly told drug traffickers at a meeting in Cali last year.
Medina also said he told traffickers that Samper favored a penal code that granted big sentence reductions to traffickers who surrendered. After Samper was elected, however, Medina said a Cali kingpin summoned him to complain the government wasn't cooperating with the cartel.
Lee Brown, the director of the White House office of drug control policy, called the allegations that the Samper campaign used drug money to gain the presidency "very disturbing."
Brown told The Associated Press that if they proved true and went unpunished, U.S. anti-narcotics aid to Colombia could be cut. The United States spends $70 million a year in Colombia on the anti-drug fight, according to the U.S. Embassy.
Enrique Parejo, a former justice minister and a crusader against drug traffickers, said the Samper administration is "an illegal government" and that the president should step down.
Hours after Botero quit, Samper would not discuss the case with reporters seeking reaction. The only word from the presidential palace was a communique saying Samper "regretfully" accepted the resignation. The statement said the minister had resigned because of "questions in the press and in elite circles in Bogota" about Botero's actions.
Botero told a crowd of reporters in the defense ministry he was submitting his "irrevocable resignation" to answer the allegations against him. No replacement was immediately named.
"The last days have been the most difficult of my life." Botero said, his voice quavering.
Indications that the Cali cartel helped Samper become president first emerged last year in audiotapes of leaders of the drug gang discussing making contributions to his election campaign.
But, lacking proof, U.S. officials decided to put aside their suspicions that the Samper administration was tainted and to judge it on its fight against the traffickers. Under pressure from Washington, Colombia cracked down on the Cali cartel and put five drug kingpins behind bars in the last two months.
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