Colombian congressional panel sets probe into president over alleged campaign finance misdeeds

BOGOTA.Colombia (AP) — A Colombian congressional committee on Wednesday ordered a preliminary investigation into President Gustavo Petro over allegations of crimes in the financing of his election campaign.

The Commission of Investigation and Accusation, which has judicial functions in dealing with complaints against the president, said it ordered the probe after analyzing information provided by prosecutors following revelations of alleged irregular campaign contributions involving Petro’s son.

Colombia’s presidents have immunity from being investigated by the prosecutor’s office.

Prosecutors initially charged Petro’s son, Nicolás Petro, with receiving unjustified money — cash that was not from his earnings as a deputy from Atlántico. During their invesigation, prosecutors say, they found that a portion of those irregular funds allegedly went to his father’s 2022 presidential campaign.

The son at first pledged to cooperate in the investigation but then backed out.

Mauricio Pava, the president’s defense lawyer, issued a statement Monday saying the law prohibits using Nicolás Petro’s statements to prosecutors as “a means of proof in any process” because the collaboration failed.

According to a report published by Semana magazine, Nicolás Petro said during his interogation in August that his father knew about the alleged irregular money that was channeled into the campaign. The son later denied his father had knowledge of that.

The Congressional Commission of Investigation and Accusation said further evidence “was required for the purpose of clarifying the facts,” but did not indicate whether it planned to use its powers to summon Petro to testify.

If the committee determined the president was involved in misdeeds its 16 members would then decide whether to file a bill of impeachment in the full House of Representatives. If the House agreed, it would send the case to the Senate for a trial, which could lead to the president being removed from office.