Gustavo Petro's son agrees to collaborate with Justice after being accused of money laundering

Nicolás Petro Burgos, eldest son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, has agreed on Tuesday to collaborate with the Justice and reveal facts of corruption of which he is aware within the process in which the Prosecutor's Office accused him of the alleged crimes of money laundering and enrichment illicit public servant.

The accusations are serious because money laundering has a penalty of between 10 and 30 years in prison and illicit enrichment of 5 to 10 years.

The Prosecutor's Office also accused the ex-wife of Nicolás Petro, Daysuris Vásquez, also arrested last Saturday, for money laundering and violation of personal data, before the Municipal Criminal Court 74 with functions of guarantee control, a crime that is punishable with a minimum four years and a maximum of eight.

The prosecution's evidence

The president's son was arrested as part of an investigation launched last March by the Prosecutor's Office after his ex-wife revealed to the press that Nicolás Petro received illegal money for his father's electoral campaign, which ultimately never reached its destination because he used to increase his personal wealth.

The case gained relevance on Saturday when the couple was arrested in two operations in Barranquilla and then transferred to the bunker of the Prosecutor's Office in Bogotá.

In the hearing this Tuesday, Petro Burgos has agreed to collaborate with the Justice, although he did not accept the charges against him.

“I want to announce to Colombia that we have decided to start a collaboration process where I will refer to new facts and situations that will help Justice. I do it for my family and for my baby who is on the way,” said Petro Burgos, who is a deputy to the Assembly of the Department of the Atlantic.

Vásquez, who was the one who triggered the scandal, had already expressed his willingness to collaborate with the Justice to obtain a reduction in sentences.

“Given the forcefulness and sufficiency of the evidence presented by the investigative body, the defendants today voluntarily announced to the Prosecutor's Office their willingness to collaborate with the justice system and provide relevant information that leads to an early termination of the judicial process,” indicated the Prosecutor's Office in a statement.

For his part, the first prosecutor delegated to the Superior Court of Bogotá, Mario Burgos, who is handling the prosecution, asked that “security be reinforced” for Petro Burgos, his team of defenders and Vásquez.

“There is no doubt that you are immersed in the conduct of illicit enrichment as a public servant,” the prosecutor told the president's son at a hearing in which he questioned the origin of his assets.

millions without explanation

During the imputation hearing, the million-dollar figures that Petro Burgos managed in the last two years were known and that, according to the Prosecutor's Office, have no support since his salary as a regional deputy is 13 million pesos per month (about 3,000 euros) and he does not have another source of income.

According to prosecutor Burgos, in 2020 the defendant bought a house in the town of Tubará (Atlántico) for almost 335 million pesos (about 85,000 dollars today), and in September 2022 he paid the initial fee for another house worth 696,250 ,000 pesos (about 171,000 euros).

“Daysuris, we are already going to have two houses,” said prosecutor Burgos sarcastically when referring to this situation.

In addition, the official said, Petro Burgos paid rent in different residences in which he lived in that period and last December he bought a Mercedes Benz car for 200 million pesos (about 48,000 euros).

“None of this is from salaries or leasing,” said the prosecutor, who recalled that in 2022 Petro Burgos' total income was 280,331,394 pesos (about 69,000 euros today).

In his presentation, the prosecutor concluded that Petro Burgos increased his assets by 1,053 million pesos (about 260,000 euros) that “are not the product of his work as a deputy” for which he considered that this money represents “an unjustified increase in assets.”

The process against the ex-partner will continue next Thursday the 3rd, after the information that Petro Burgos promised to give in relation to corruption cases is reviewed.