Congressman to answer for 175 rounds found in UNP vehicle

In a statement issued on March 14, 2023there Office of the Attorney General of the Nation announced the discovery of ammunition that was found in one of the cars assigned by the National Protection Unit – UNP and the reason why it has started an investigation process for Juan Lorette Gomezrepresentative in the House.

According to the statement, the preliminary investigation will be applied for the alleged disciplinary conduct in which Loreto Gómez, a representative of the Conservative Party, may have incurred, due to the discovery of the ammunition in which they found more 175 rounds inside a vehicle allegedly assigned to him by the UNP.

The events occurred with the discovery of ammunition in Maicao, in La Guajira. There, the disciplinary investigation chamber indicated that when the authorities found the approximately 175 cartridges in the vehicle, a person close to the agent was there. This is how it was decided to start the investigation at the location where Loreto was after leaving the cars assigned to him as part of his security arrangement.

In the minutes, the representative mentioned that the vehicle was used without his consent and that, in addition, he has two vehicles assigned by the National Protection Unit due to the level of risk in the area, while the vehicle in which the ammunition was found was being used by their escorts.

As reported by the Attorney General’s office, “evidence was ordered to establish the existence of possibly improper conduct, to determine whether it constituted disciplinary misconduct or whether action was taken pursuant to a motive of disclaimer”.

The investigation that the attorney general’s office opened after discovering at least 175 rounds of 5.56 caliber by the Police in an assigned to the representative Juan Lorette Gomez. However, it was learned that at the time of the seizure, the congressman was not moving in the vehicle.

The events took place in La Guajira, where the vehicle of National Protection Unit – UNP It was driven by a man identified as Juan Jose Madiedo Ospino. As it was known at the time, he was a worker in the parking lot of Barracas, where the vehicle remained during the parliamentarian’s visit to the country’s capital.

in conversation with Radio Blue, Gómez pointed out that they had taken the vehicle without authorization to act illegally and thus transport the ammunition of the rifle. Indeed, he noted that:

“One is the van I travel in and the other is the one used by the UNP escorts. In the afternoon, the scheme informs me that someone has taken the car without authorization. On Monday they transport me to Valledupar airport to catch a flight to come here (Bogotá) and on Tuesday the security system informs me of what happened”.

According to the representative, the car was left in the parking lot and they took it there. He added that the identity of the person who allegedly drove the vehicle could be known because the owner of the car park is known to the MP.

He also mentioned that: “The vehicle is for UNP use only. I asked the security system what happened and the assumption I have is that they took the vehicle for illegal purposes.

The driver was arrested and in light of the case, Gómez spoke in Law saying: “I could not speak to him because he is detained but we are friends and because we are friends he abused my trust; he must bear the full weight of the law, properly so he must be.”

However, this is not the only known case of vehicles in which there are objects of this type, since in fact, in the month of December 2022, the case of another car belonging to the UNP was also known in the who were transported near 150 pounds of cocaine.

For its part, the National Protection Unit ruled on its account Twitter giving the reason for the situation, where he stated that:

“Capture of driver Maicao for illegal transport of weapons. The police in Maicao immobilized a vehicle belonging to the protection regime of the conservative parliamentarian Juan Loreto Gómez Soto. The truck was found in unlawful possession of ammunition and supplies…”.

In addition, he added that: “The parliamentarian explained that an operator -already identified and captured- of the usual parking lot abusively removed the vehicle from Barrancas, Guajira. It is up to Gómez Soto, as responsible for the scheme, to denounce the authorities and clarify the fact”.

It is expected that the National Protection Unit, together with the authorities handling the case, will review the reports that have already been submitted so that they can begin investigations that will lead to more information about the case. .