Colombia’s Supreme Court of Justice has issued an international arrest warrant for former congressman Arturo Char Chaljub, implicated in the Casablanca judicial scandal involving Aida Merlano, senator-elect in 2018. According to a ruling by Colombia’s Superior Court of Justice, evidence strongly suggests that Char was part of a criminal network that perpetrated electoral fraud in the elections of that same year.
Char, who is a US citizen and had been residing in Miami, Florida, was captured at the airport in Barranquilla Colombia, via a private flight from Miami, Florida, on Thursday evening. The arrest warrant was issued alongside a red notice to the General Secretariat of Interpol to carry out the order. The Senate has ordered Char to be imprisoned, not placed under house arrest.
It is believed that Mr. Char’s involvement in this case is linked to the same electoral corruption case in which former congresso-woman Aida Merlano was convicted and is currently held at the Vergara y Velasco Battalion in Malambo Atlántico. The Supreme Court notes that “crimes against the mechanisms of democratic participation would have been executed, through the purchase of votes for these candidates,” ultimately leading to the issuance of the international arrest warrant.
The arrest of Char and the ongoing investigation serves as a reminder of the work Colombia is doing to fight against corruption and bring those guilty of such crimes to justice. It is yet to be seen what consequences Char will face as a result of this arrest.
With information from El Heraldo
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