The Supreme Court of Colombia denied requests for the release of former congressmen Andrés Calle and Iván Name [1].
The decision ensures that two high-profile former legislators remain in custody during the ongoing legal proceedings. This maintains the current judicial status quo for the defendants as they face charges related to the UNGRD case [1].
Both men are currently held at La Picota prison, located in the south of Bogotá [1], [2]. The court rejected their petitions for release, which were based on the expiration of certain terms [1], [2].
For Andrés Calle, this marks the third time the Supreme Court has denied a request for his release [3]. The court's consistent refusal to grant liberty suggests a judicial determination that the conditions for release have not been met, regardless of the duration of their detention.
Legal representatives for the former congressmen had sought to have the defendants removed from prison, but the high court said the incarceration was necessary [2]. The proceedings continue to center on the actions of the former officials and their connection to the UNGRD investigation [1].
“The Supreme Court of Colombia denied requests for the release of former congressmen Andrés Calle and Iván Name”
The repeated denial of release petitions indicates that the Colombian Supreme Court views the risks of flight or interference with the investigation as outweighing the defendants' rights to pretrial liberty. By keeping Calle and Name in La Picota prison, the judiciary is signaling a strict approach to the UNGRD corruption probe, ensuring that key figures remain available for trial and unable to influence the legal process from outside incarceration.
