Gustavo Petro under investigation in sexual scandal: Colombia's Supreme Court opens case
Colombia's Supreme Court of Justice is investigating former president Gustavo Petro for alleged sexual favours in exchange for state contracts.
Supreme Court investigates Petro for alleged contracts in exchange for sexual favours
Colombia's Supreme Court of Justice is investigating former president Gustavo Petro for a sexual scandal that occurred during both his presidency and his time as a congressman, according to reporting by primicias.ec. The announcement was made on Saturday by judge Mauricio Lenis, president of the country's highest court.
The case originated in a complaint filed with the Public Prosecutor's Office by a woman who claims that she and approximately thirty other people received state contracts in exchange for maintaining sexual relations with Petro. The former president categorically denies the accusations.
"There are facts that correspond to the time when he was a congressman and there are facts that correspond to the time when he was president," Lenis explained to local media. The judge added that it would be determined "from all the reported facts which have criminal relevance and the responsibilities that would correspond," as part of joint investigations with the Public Prosecutor's Office, under confidentiality.
In recent days, former public contractor Deicy Jiménez released a video in which she appears alongside Petro following an alleged sexual encounter. The images, in which they are seen embracing and kissing, went viral on social media.
Petro responded via his X account that he never used "a state contract to obtain favours from anyone" and assured that he would appear before the judges. The former president attributes the complaints to a plan orchestrated by his political adversaries, whilst serving as leader of the opposition to the right-wing government of Abelardo de la Espriella.
This is not the first occasion on which the former president's conduct towards women has come under public scrutiny. In the past, Petro referred to a group of journalists as "mafia dolls". The left-wing politician held a seat in Congress during five terms between 1991 and 2022.
His daughters, Antonella and Sofía Petro, published a statement on Sunday in which they call for not revictimising the complainant. "We trust that our father, as he has already stated, will appear before justice without delay," the statement says.
Source: Google News CO — Crime