Drug Money Allegation Dogs Colombia’s President-Elect

Barely 48 hours after his election as president of Colombia, Ernesto Samper on Tuesday confronted a new round of accusations that his campaign was financed by money from the world’s largest drug traffickers.

Samper has steadfastly denied the allegations. But new suggestions emerged Tuesday in the form of a tape recording that purports to reveal a discussion of plans to funnel millions of drug dollars into Samper’s campaign.

The authenticity of the tape could not be determined. On it, the two reputed leaders of the Cali cocaine cartel, brothers Gilberto and Miguel Angel Rodriguez Orejuela, are purportedly talking on the telephone with a Colombian journalist who has been repeatedly linked to the cartel. The three discuss the need for an extra $3.75 million to help finance Samper’s race in the runoff election held Sunday, and they appear to set the journalist up as the go-between who would relay cash to the campaign.

The recording does not prove that the money ever actually reached Samper’s campaign coffers, and the tape’s origin is unclear. Late Tuesday, Samper said he had asked the state prosecutor general to investigate all money used in his campaign, and he denied again that he received drug profits.

The taped conversation also contains discussion of money for Samper’s opponent, Andres Pastrana, a local television station reported. Neither Pastrana nor officials of his campaign could be reached Tuesday.

Samper, a member of the ruling Liberal Party, narrowly defeated Conservative Party candidate Pastrana in the election.

Allegations that drug money had seeped into the presidential campaign circulated frequently in recent months but were denied by both camps.

Only in the last couple of days have those allegations suddenly gained momentum. In his concession speech Sunday night, Pastrana said, “A president who has received drug-trafficking money does not have the moral authority to lead his people.”

Additional grist for the mill came in the waning days of the campaign. Pastrana sent a letter to Samper asking him to join in a pledge that if the eventual winner discovered later that drug money was used in his race, he would resign immediately. Pastrana said he never received a response.

Times special correspondent Steven Ambrus in Bogota contributed to this report.