July 28 (UPI) -- Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was convicted Monday of bribing a witness and procedural fraud, following several hours of sentencing in a case that spanned more than a decade.
He is the first former head of state in Colombia to face a criminal conviction.
"It can be concluded, based on the prosecution's findings, that the criminal offense of bribery was sufficiently proven," Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia said as she read the verdict.
During his presidency, Uribe implemented a policy known as "Democratic Security," which reduced kidnapping and homicide rates and supported the demobilization of paramilitary and guerrilla forces.
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