Arrest moves Colombian scandal closer to Uribe

Authorities on Thursday arrested the former head of Colombia’s top police agency in connection with a widening paramilitary scandal that is moving closer to President Alvaro Uribe.

The arrest of Jorge Noguera, who directed the Department of Administrative Security, or DAS, follows the resignation Monday of Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo. Araujo’s brother is among five congressmen, all staunch Uribe supporters, who have been arrested on charges of having links to illegal right-wing militias.

Four other current and former members of Congress were arrested in November on charges ranging from mass murder to extortion and electoral fraud.

Noguera, 43, was a close associate of the president. Noguera organized Uribe’s 2002 presidential campaign in Colombia’s coastal zone.

Although he had little government experience, Noguera was named head of the powerful investigative entity after Uribe took office.

Informants accused Noguera of doing the bidding of right-wing paramilitary commanders while heading the agency, a post roughly equivalent to FBI director in the United States. One informant said Noguera ordered him to destroy the criminal files of some alleged paramilitary leaders.

Noguera resigned from the post in October 2005, but Uribe named him to the post of consul in Milan, Italy, shortly after. Noguera quit that position last May after it became known he was being investigated for allegedly having ties to paramilitary groups.

Uribe said Thursday that Colombia was “a nation of law” and that justice must be respected. He added that the allegation of erased criminal records “worries me.”

Noguera was arrested after giving testimony at the federal prosecutor’s office in the capital, Bogota. He was charged with criminal conspiracy. Further details of the case were not released.

Noguera also was accused of playing host to men accused of plotting to kill Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Sources in the prosecutor’s office told The Times that four separate investigations were examining Noguera’s tenure at the DAS, including alleged actions against labor leaders. Investigators believe he operated under orders from paramilitary chief Rodrigo Tovar, alias “Jorge 40.”

Other charges being investigated include electoral fraud during the 2002 presidential vote and administrative corruption in connection with the destruction of criminal records and arrest orders targeting suspected drug traffickers.

Many of the charges were made public by the former DAS data processing chief, Rafael Garcia, who has been charged with corruption, but has said he acted on Noguera’s instructions. The case against Noguera was opened last April based on Garcia’s testimony.

Opposition political leaders say 20 officials, including members of Congress, are being investigated by the prosecutor’s office and the Supreme Court, which is charged with inquiries involving lawmakers.

chris.kraul@latimes.com

Times staff writer Kraul reported from Barranquilla, Colombia, and special correspondent Gonzalez from Bogota.