Court orders confiscation of René Higuita's home over links to Escobar cartel
A Colombian court has ordered the seizure of former goalkeeper René Higuita's house after determining that it was purchased with funds from Pablo Escobar's drug trafficking operations.
Court orders confiscation of René Higuita's home over links to Escobar cartel
A Colombian court has ordered the confiscation of the home of former footballer René Higuita following a twelve-year investigation that concluded the property was bought with money from Pablo Escobar's cartel.
The former Colombian national team goalkeeper, internationally renowned for his spectacular "scorpion" save during a match against England in 1995, acquired the house in 1992 in one of Medellín's most exclusive areas. According to prosecutors, fraudulent methods and forged signatures were used to conceal the illicit origin of the funds used in the purchase.
The investigation determined that the property changed hands successively before reaching Higuita a year before the death of the famous drug trafficking kingpin. Initially, the property was acquired through a shell company belonging to brothers William and Gerardo Moncada, cartel members who were subsequently murdered in prison on Escobar's orders.
Higuita, nicknamed "El Loco", defended his innocence in an interview with Bogotá-based broadcaster Blu Radio. He claimed it was a "pure coincidence" and described himself as a "victim of these events". The former player has already filed an appeal against the court decision and, while the case is being resolved, maintains the right to remain in the property.
Higuita's links to the drug trafficking world had generated controversy in the past. In 1993 he was detained after visiting Escobar in prison and was also investigated for his involvement in the release of a drug trafficker's daughter who had been kidnapped by the kingpin himself. Although he received an illegal payment for his intermediation, charges against him were subsequently withdrawn.
Source: Skai.gr
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)