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Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said on Tuesday the Supreme Court had ordered his detention amid an investigation into alleged witness tampering and fraud.
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Uribe, a mentor of President Ivan Duque who now serves as a senator, has repeatedly declared his innocence and questioned the court's independence.
The court has not yet released its ruling and it was unclear whether Uribe, a divisive political figure, would be held under house arrest or possibly behind bars.
"The privation of my liberty causes me profound sadness for my wife, for my family, and for Colombians who still believe that I have done something good for the country," Uribe wrote on Twitter.
La privación de mi libertad me causa profunda tristeza por mi señora, por mi familia y por los colombianos que todavía creen que algo bueno he hecho por la Patria
— Álvaro Uribe Vélez (@AlvaroUribeVel) August 4, 2020
The Supreme Court ruling would mark the first ever in Colombia ordering the detention of a former president.
Duque has repeatedly backed Uribe and said he should be allowed to defend himself while free.
The case stems from a long-running feud between the right-wing Uribe and leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda.
In 2012, Uribe accused Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to tie him to right-wing paramilitary groups.
But in 2018 the court said Cepeda had collected information from former fighters as part of his work and had not paid or pressured former paramilitaries.
Instead it was Uribe who was at fault, the court said, adding that hiRead More – Source
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