TODAY COLOMBIA – Bogota (AFP) – Colombia’s former spy chief Maria del Pilar Hurtado was taken into custody Saturday after her forced return from Panama to face charges for illegal wiretapping and other crimes.
“She has been at the headquarters of the prosecutor’s office since 5 a.m.,” a Colombian government source told AFP.
Hurtado was the top official at the now-defunct Administrative Department of Security (DAS) the national intelligence agency from 2002-2010, when former President Alvaro Uribe was in office.
She is accused of having ordered illegal wiretaps on politicians, journalists and other perceived political enemies of Uribe’s.
She fled the country in 2010 and was granted asylum in Panama, but surrendered to Colombian authorities after Interpol on Friday issued an order for her arrest.
Panama’s Security ministry issued a statement early Saturday saying that Hurtado was “handed over to Colombian authorities… and departed the country on a private plane,” early Saturday.
Interpol’s arrest order charges her with numerous offenses, including aggravated criminal conspiracy and abuse of public office.
