Suspended the local mayor of Usme for the alleged corruption case involving her administration

On Tuesday, March 22, Bogotá's Secretary of Government, Felipe Jiménez, confirmed the suspension of the local mayor of Usme, Mabel Andrea Sua, after audios were released that would show alleged acts of corruption that link the president's father and local contractors.

The decision, according to the district official, was taken by the disciplinary control office of the Secretariat of Government in the framework of the investigation being carried out against the president of the fifth town of the capital, due to the alleged pressure that Jorge Tiberio Sua, father of the mayor, would have exerted on contractors who were demanded millionaire sums of money.

“Decree to comply with Auton No. 559 of March 2022, issued by the Office of Disciplinary Affairs of the District Secretariat of Government, in the sense of suspending Mrs. Mabel Sua Toledo, from the role of local mayor of Usme,” states the document shared by the Secretary of Government.

It was also decided to entrust the director of the District System for the Service to Citizens, Dorian de Jesús Coquies Maestre, with the staff of the General Secretariat of the District Administration in the position and functions of the local mayor, while the provisional suspension for this alleged corruption case is being carried out.

The Secretariat of Government also indicated that this decision was taken with the aim of facilitating and protecting the investigation of investigative bodies following the allegations that became known last week, while an internal audit was ordered at the Usme Mayor's Office, with the aim of detecting and preventing “another alleged act against public administration”.

“This decision seeks to ensure transparency and speed in the investigation. We have already expanded the complaints that we filed at the time before the Attorney General's Office and the Office of Disciplinary Affairs of the Secretariat as soon as we learned the facts,” said Secretary Jiménez.

Finally, he called on citizens to denounce any possible act of corruption in the process of contracting the leaders of the 20 localities, which can be done through the email: contratacióntransparente@gobierno.gov.co and thus contribute to monitoring the capital's public resources.

For his part, the Bogotá councillor of the Colombia Justa Libres party, Emel Rojas, said that he has received serious allegations of corruption in different mayors of Bogotá, indicating that the case of “Usme is just the tip of the 'anti-corruption' government iceberg,” he said.

“After supporting the Mayor of Usme, the District government decides to recall and suspend her. I hope that the contract for adviser Diego Posada will also be terminated and official Nelly Tilagu will be suspended and also involved in the corruption scandal,” said the lobbyist, who has been a strong critic of Claudia López's administration.

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