Former Senator Eduardo Pulgar was transferred to La Picota after spending 10 days in hospital

Former Senator Eduardo Pulgar, sentenced to four years in prison for influence-trafficking and bribery, was transferred to La Picota prison in Bogotá from the Malambo Military Unit, where he was serving his sentence just a few hours from the La Misericordia clinic, where he was diagnosed with hypertensive crisis, coronary syndrome and arrhythmia cardiac.

The transfer comes after the first civilian judge of the Soledad Circuit, Atlántico, rejected the guardianship brought by Ana Ucrós, wife of former senator Eduardo Pulgar, through which she tried to avoid the transfer of imprisonment that had been handed down by the Ministry of Justice.

“The fundamental right invoked by the transfer of the prisoner is not violated, since the primary fundamental right invoked by the family union is replaced by virtual visits,” the judge said on March 22.

The Ministry of Justice ordered the change of Pulgar's place of detention following the controversy in which INPEC is involved for allegedly providing benefits to certain prisoners. It was learned that officials of the entity granted irregular permits to businessman Carlos Mattos and lawyer Diego Cadena, so the authorities suspect that other prisoners in the country are also receiving special treatment. In the case of Pulgar, he is considered a “VIP convict”; moreover, because he is held in Malambo, a municipality located in his native department, he could have influence thanks to close people.

Former Congressman Eduardo Pulgar Disabled for Attempted Bribery

The Office of the Attorney General of the Nation disabled former senator of the U Party, Eduardo Pulgar Daza, for 12 years, so the former official will not be able to assume public office in that period of time. The decision was made after the disciplinary trial ended.

The Disciplinary Chamber for the Trial of Public Servants of Popular Election stated that Pulgar is guilty on the charge of bribery for attempting to bribe a judge of the Republic and indicated that he had committed serious breaches of the ethics of a congressman. Apparently, the former senator offered Andrés Rodríguez Cáez 200 million pesos to favor Luis Fernando Acosta Osio, former honorary consul of Poland in Colombia, in a family dispute over control of the Metropolitan University of Barranquilla.

Interest in this educational institution arose after the appointment of the governing body for the period 2016-1017 of the University, which is part of the Acosta Bendeck Foundation. These appointments generated a disposition between two groups of the heir family. Acosta Osio belonged to one of the sides and took advantage of his bond with Pulgar, as he had supported him in his campaign to the Congress of the Republic.

“The then Senator Pulgar Daza, through the mayor of Usuacurí, Ronald Padilla, managed to get Judge Rodríguez Cáez to agree to meet with him at his place of residence in Barranquilla,” the Public Prosecutor's Office explained during the hearing. At that meeting, the former congressman exposed the conflict between the heirs of the Acosta Bendeck foundation and “asked him for help with this issue, what he called would be 'a business',” he added.

In that regard, the judge would have to act in his diligence in favor of Acosta Osio; however, Rodríguez Cáez rejected the financial offer, despite Pulgar's insistence. This was recorded in audios that the Public Prosecutor's Office showed during the hearing and were made known to the media.

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