COLOMBIA: Supreme Court Summons Santos And His Cabinet For Odebrecht Case

(RTTNews) - Colombia's Supreme Court summoned President Juan Manuel Santos and part of his cabinet for allegedly favoring the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in a bidding related to the Ruta del Sol II road project, in the northern part of the country.

Among the defendants are Juan Manuel Santos, the former Vice-President Germán Vargas Lleras, the Finance Minister Mauricio Cárdenas, the Minister of Foreign Affairs María Ángela Holguín, the Minister of Agriculture, Aurelio Iragorri Valencia, the Minister of Culture, Mariana Garcés Córdoba, and the Minister of Health, Alejandro Gaviria.

The testimony's purpose is to verify whether a criminal case will be opened against the Senator Bernardo Miguel Elías, who was arrested yesterday, for alleged money laundering, undue interest in the conclusion of contracts, association to commit crime and bribery.

Meanwhile, the Colombian Interior Minister Guillermo Rivera confirmed that the president and several of his ministers would attend the Court's subpoena.