The head of Colombia’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, Ricardo Bonilla, has resigned following allegations of alleged corruption in the national rescue service, and will be replaced by Deputy Minister Diego Alejandro Guevara, according to the country’s President Gustavo Petro. A copy of the statement was published by El Colombiano.
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“Let me ask for the irrevocable resignation from the position of Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Colombia. I have always said that I respect the work of the prosecutor’s office and will not use my position in the cabinet to defend myself. I believe that the time has come to take up my defense as a citizen with a team of lawyers, without status as a government official in order to concentrate on the process and avoid any future damage to the government,” Bonilla said in a statement, a copy of which was published by El Colombiano.
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An investigation into the corruption scandal at the National Disaster Risk Management Service UNGRD is currently underway against congressmen Ivan Name and Andres Calle, speakers of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. It is based on the testimony of the service’s former director, Olmedo Lopez, who reported alleged corruption involving legislators and Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla during the approval and use of the UNGRD supplementary budget. Former adviser Alejandra Benavides also testified against him.
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President Petro, who is a witness in the case, supported Bonilla in a blog post, calling the charges a means of political warfare and noting his role in rebuilding the economy after the crisis inherited from the previous government. According to the head of state, Bonilla’s place will be taken by his current deputy, Diego Alejandro Guevara.
