By Sovereign Hager
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
![Supreme Court justices, journalists, opposition politicians, generals in the armed forces, prosecutors, and even some high government officials have allegedly been being monitored for the past several months by the Presidential Intelligence Service (DAS). (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)](http://colombiareports.com/pics/2009/02/das_building.jpg)
BOGOTA, Colombia-Colombia’s Supreme Court asked the prosecutor general to place two witnesses in the trial of former Presidential Intelligence Service or DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad) director Jorge Noguero under state protection, after reports that the witnesses are being followed and threatened. Noguero is on trial for alleged involvement in alleged acts of wire tapping Colombian citizens.
This is just the latest in numerous complaints regarding the DAS. In late 2005, Noguero was accused of working with paramilitares to facilitate narcotrafficking and in the development of a list of human-rights workers and labor leaders to be murdered. The recent allegation of wire tapping forced the resignation of DAS director María de Pilar Hurtado.
The DAS was allegedly conducting surveillance on opposition Senator Gustavo Petro. However, allegations are that the DAS conducts surveillance of many prominent citizens. “Targets” include opposition politicians, social movement leaders, journalists, and even Supreme Court officials trying to investigate ties between paramilitary narcotraffickers and President Uribe’s political allies.
One source reported that “any person or entity who represents an eventual danger for the government has to be monitored by the DAS. As a result, more than a year ago, the activities of the Supreme Court, and some of its members, came to be considered and treated as a legitimate target.” This was corroborated to a local news agency by four other DAS officials. A local media outlet reports that almost all DAS surveillance materials on high profile Colombians were destroyed by investigators after they were collected at the Office of Counter Intelligence.
The witness currently under court ordered protection include former DAS employee Matha Leal and former paramilitary Wilson Mayorga.
For more information, please see:
Colombia Reports-Court Seeks Protection For DAS Trial Witnesses-15 March 2010
Center for International Policy-The New DAS Scandal-27 February 2010
MediaLeft-Colombia’s DAS: Vicious Security Octopus Acts With Impunity-9 February 2010