-Caveat Lector- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020509/ap_wo_en_ge/colombia_us_police_scandal_1
Colombian counterdrug officers fired after U.S. money disappears Thu May 9, 5:17 PM ET By JARED KOTLER, Associated Press Writer BOGOTA, Colombia - Six Colombian counternarcotics policemen were fired after the United States discovered money was missing from a U.S.-funded account and suspended some aid as a result, officials said Thursday. The lost funds from the account covering police administrative expenses were "a significant amount of money," a U.S. Embassy official told The Associated Press. The scandal touches a police force that has been a longtime U.S. ally and recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars of aid in attempts to eradicate cocaine and heroin in this South American nation. The official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said the U.S. government has suspended further deposits into the accounts while a criminal investigation proceeds. "We are confident that action will be taken against the individuals involved," the U.S. official said. "When this has happened we anticipate resuming full support for (antinarcotics police) activities." U.S. and Colombian officials would not say how much money was missing. A report in Bogota's El Tiempo newspaper put the figure as high as $2 million. Counternarcotics police chief Gen. Gustavo Socha confirmed he had fired six members of his staff Friday after reviewing information passed to him by the U.S. Embassy. Socha refused to name the officers or give details on their suspected activities. "I am not giving out names or responsibilities," he told a news conference at police headquarters. He said he would not be the fall guy for the corruption scandal. "I am not going to resign," he told reporters. According to El Tiempo, about 30 members of the antinarcotics police are under investigation. Those already fired included Col. Salvador Gonzalez Aguilar, a top administrator, and three police majors. The investigation centers on payments to possibly fictitious suppliers of goods to the police force, including water, gasoline, vehicles and parts, El Tiempo reported. Changes in procedure were being put into place to avoid future problems, the U.S. official said. Socha said U.S. deposits into the account were frozen "about a month and a half" ago. He maintained the suspension was not affecting drug-crop eradication or interdiction operations under Plan Colombia, President Andres Pastrana's U.S.-funded drug-fighting initiative. For example, Socha said police on Wednesday dismantle a slew of jungle drug laboratories in two regions of the country, including one capable of producing more than a ton (600 kilograms) of cocaine a week. Washington has pumped $1.7 billion into Plan Colombia in the past two years, including aid to the police, army and civilian institutions. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
