President of Colombia Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego speaks at the public Homegoing Service for the Reverend Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope church in Chicago, on March 6. Petro is under criminal investigation over allegations of improper political interference. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo
May 27 (UPI) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro is under criminal investigation over allegations of improper political interference four days before voters head to the polls to elect the country's next president.
Colombia's House Investigation and Accusation Commission, a congressional body responsible for investigating sitting presidents, opened the investigation on its own initiative following a series of public statements and social media posts by Petro tied to the presidential election scheduled for May 31.
Colombian law strictly prohibits executive branch officials from intervening in electoral contests or using their office to favor or harm candidates.
The case against Petro is based on several recent incidents that critics say violated the principle of presidential neutrality.
