17 INVESTIGATIONS HAVE NOT PROSPERED AGAINST SENATOR ROY BARRERAS

In the midst of the transparency and anti-corruption policy of the government of Juan Manuel Santos, against the current senator Roy Leonardo Barreras, who went from being a defender and staunch supporter of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, to the most distinguished Santista, he has 17 investigations against him in both the Supreme Court of Justice as in the Council of State, which date back more than seven years, curiously none of them has prospered.

In the Council of State, against Roy Barreras, there are 7 lawsuits for loss of investiture, and although the first judicial action was filed more than 7 years ago, little or nothing has advanced, that is, they were «shelved».

In 2013, a lawsuit arose against him for loss of investiture, this time by citizen Carlos Mario Isaza. The investigation as if by magic corresponded to his friend, the current Minister of Justice, Enrique Gil Botero, who obviously did not process it either.

But if it “rains” in the Council of State, in the Supreme Court “it pours”, in a criminal court, the senator has 17 investigations against him for different crimes. The situation regarding corruption in the high courts makes it clear that the senator has been enlightened by «the one above» and miraculously all the processes against him are in the corner of oblivion. Added to this «miracle» is the fact that 3 of the 17 investigations being carried out against Barreras are in the office of the corrupt magistrate Gustavo Malo Fernández.

About Roy and other scandals

The Valle del Cauca senator has starred in severe corruption scandals in the country, but none of them have been brought to justice, on the contrary, the statements of two members of the R15 criminal gang have not been clarified, for example that they had robbed an apartment of the politician, in which he had a safe with $ 1,200 million pesos. Regarding the issue, the congressman said that the assault in which a policeman died had occurred, but that he did not have that money in the apartment, located in the La Flora neighborhood of Cali.

He also indicated that a woman lived in the apartment who was in charge of taking care of it, to whom her jewelry was taken.

«I did live in that apartment, so the commander of the Valle Police, General Castañeda, and through an officer in what they call the Padrinos Plan, warned me that one of the bodyguards of my security detail was being investigated for his participation in a large criminal gang, I thanked him for changing the security scheme and this was done without giving me further details of the investigation» said Barreras on the occasion to a national media.

The alleged participation of Roy Barreras in events related to the looting of Caprecom, an entity that has been handled by his recommendations, has also been national «talk», but nothing has been proven against him. In this regard, it was learned that in November 2012 he signed a contract to lease 200 SUVs for 100 congressmen for 29 million pesos. That is, 145 million pesos for the rent of each one.

The disloyalty with his political parties has also earned him the criticism of many, and the opinion of analysts who affirm that, with them, the senator only seeks to be at the center of the debate and stay current.

Let’s remember that initially Barreras left the Liberal Party to accompany Germán Vargas Lleras in Cambio Radical, then he followed Álvaro Uribe’s banners and then he went to the Party of the U, where he later attacked the ex-president to support Juan Manuel Santos.

Roy Barreras’ positions on sensitive issues in the country have also kept him in the «public pillory», as happened in 2013 when he signed with a Christian church in Cali, a pact not to support gay marriage, abortion, or the personal dose.

Likewise, he promised to give places in his Legislative Work Unit (UTL) to at least two representatives of the Mission of Peace to the Nations, among other offers he made to them in the campaign, in exchange for meetings with nearly two thousand leaders of that church to present his proposals.

When the scandal broke out, Barreras assured that he had never compromised his vote, or his positions. He claimed that the scandal occurred in order to obstruct debates in Congress. «While I was meeting with Christians, others were meeting with paramilitaries», he said.

Senator Roy Barreras recently expressed his solidarity with his counterpart Bernardo Elías and hoped that he can move forward after being captured by the Odebrecht scandal.

«In Colombia there is a presumption of innocence. It is easy for opportunists to turn their backs on their partner. I wish you can prove your innocence. The Party of the U is your home».

So wrapped up in so many scandals and unsuccessful investigations, the only certainty is that Senator Roy, as the title of his new book says, comes «from the bottom to the top».