Colombia’s National Electoral Council judges are calling for an investigation into the Petro campaign

By Luis Jaime Acosta and Carlos Vargas

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Two of nine judges on Colombia’s National Electoral Council (CNE) have requested that an investigation be opened against Colombia’s president Gustavo PetroTwo sources said Wednesday that the 2022 campaign will be sued over alleged spending violations.

Judges Benjamin Ortiz and Alvaro Hernan Prada also requested an investigation against Ecopetrol boss Ricardo Roa, who served as Petro’s campaign manager.

The scandal is the latest to rock Petro’s government after former officials at the country’s disaster management agency this week offered to cooperate with prosecutors over alleged corruption in the procurement of water tankers.

Ecopetrol, the country’s majority state-owned energy company, said it had no comment on news of the investigation, which was originally reported in local newspaper El Tiempo.

The Colombian president’s office did not comment, but Justice Minister Nestor Osuna said the government would abide by the CNE’s final decision to either move forward or close the investigation.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta and Carlos Vargas; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)