Son of the President of Colombia arrested: suspected of money laundering and illegal enrichment on suspicion | Nicolas Petro | President
Recently, Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, was arrested by the police on charges of money laundering and illegal enrichment on suspicion of illegally raising funds during last year's election campaign.
According to a report by The New York Times on July 29th, along with Nicolas Petro, his ex-wife Dassault Basques was also arrested, who was accused of money laundering and personal data infringement.
The prosecutor requested temporary detention of them as the prosecutor's office is investigating money laundering allegations against these two individuals.
Gustavo Petro stated that he will not interfere with the investigation. "As the President of the Republic, I have assured the Office of the Chief Prosecutor that it will have all guarantees so that it can proceed in accordance with the law. May these events shape his character, and may he reflect on his mistakes."
According to a report by Al Jazeera on July 29th, the arrest of Nicolas Petro is a major blow to the Petro government, as it has been attacked by conservatives.
Previously, Nicolas Petro welcomed the relevant investigation in March and stated that the allegations he had received money from drug traffickers were unfounded.
Earlier this year, Basque told local media that two individuals accused of participating in drug trafficking had provided funds for Gustavo Petro's campaign and were suspected of other corrupt practices. She claimed that the money was used to live a luxurious life in the northern city of Barankia.
Basque said in an interview with Semana magazine that Nicolas Petro received $124000 in money from a former drug dealer named Samuel Santander Lopezia.
The prosecutor confirmed that Nicolas Petro was arrested on charges of money laundering and illegal enrichment. Basque has also been charged with the previous crime.
Gustavo Petro denied obtaining money from the country's cocaine group. He himself also requested an investigation into his son.