Prosecutor Néstor Humberto Martínez stands in the Senate to defend himself

Until a few hours before the debate, very few people anticipated the arrival of Néstor Humberto Martínez. Since the Attorney General was not obliged to be present, it was expected that he would not reach the capital. However, around 8 pm, three hours after the beginning of the debate, the high official, who drew several days of storm, arrived smiling at the scene. Martinez crossed the crowded room and began to wave to each of them with a handshake. He looked safe.

Martinez explained the reason for his arrival at the Congress. "Senator Robledo now serves as an inquisitor and takes away the morale of any citizen," he said. He added that his presence in the country had been an unprecedented event. However, he badured that he had decided to attend because of his honor, his moral integrity and his family. He described himself as a victim of a public lynching.

Martinez lit batteries against Robledo. He called him the king of sophistry and lies. He remembered an episode in the past in which he had even wagered with the senator his professional card and, in turn, his credentials. It was referring to the debate on the agribusiness industry in the highlands. On October 23, 2013, Robledo sent him a letter in which he stated: "I must admit that I was wrong … he did not return the powers of the senator."

The prosecutor described Pizano as his "lifelong friend" and explained that the two families shared very intimate moments. Martínez spoke about those conversations published by Noticias Uno a few weeks ago but that were recorded in 2015. The prosecutor badured that at that time, it was not known that Odebrecht had poured out pots of -vin around the world. According to the prosecutor, it was only known until 2016.

According to Martínez's story, Pizano had attempted to pbad on this information to the Aval group, but could not establish a direct link. As the proximity of the lawyer with Sarmiento was known, Pizano was looking for him. "At that time, Nestor Humberto Martinez was not an attorney, but today, I wish to be questioned as if I were a public official." I have a complaint standard that does not exist. Is not specific to my profession in which the professional secrecy exists. "

Martinez started speaking in the third person. "What did I say to produce this lynching?" Said Jorge Enrique. "What do you bring me?" I learn about specific cases and explore other solutions. to this information "..

The prosecutor presented audio excerpts to confirm his thesis. "If you know something, Alarm Jorge Enrique," he says in one of these. The lawyer submits that Pizano told him that they were not bribes and adds that he does not explain why he should be informed of this existence, as his critics ask him to do. "Jorge Enrique had a lot of temperance and courage," he said.

The prosecutor explained the conversation during which he listed a series of crimes, which, for his detractors, is proof that he was aware of the irregularities. He explained that on August 9, 2015, Pizano had told him about a sum of 24 billion. "And now, they talk about what I knew that 50 million, do not be scoundrels, as far as they want to go into this infamy!" He said. "Fortunately, this is recorded in the mouth, in the voice of my friend Pizano," he added. Then he was described as a "human mail" that only carried information from one side to the other.

Martinez says he has not omitted any complaints because he did not really know that it was a crime. "I did what he asked me for," he added. According to him, when he informed Luis Carlos Sarmiento, the Aval group engaged an internal audit which finally discovered that the irregularities involved a higher amount. And it is from this new amount that comes the famous contract of transaction that he wrote.

The prosecutor added that at the time of this conversation, August 26, 2015 he was not a criminal. And at that point, he read a legal notion that a criminal states the situation that might arise. But he adds that the same lawyer adds that only an audit can validate if these facts are actually committed.

He added that his friend Jorge Enrique had sent him, after his death, new audios in which his position was clear. This is a statement made by the Controller of the Consortium to the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce where, when asked what he thought were doubtful about these payments, he replied that he had already communicated all this information to the Office of the Prosecutor. They ask him if it was bribes or crimes and he responds, "No, I do not know that a crime was committed as we know it now".

"Then Mr. Pizano said that he was not aware of the crimes and that the messenger had done it?" Martinez asked his defense.

The prosecutor also referred to the statement made by Pizano to the prosecutor's office in August of this year. According to Martínez, the former controller documented the irregular contracts submitted to the prosecutor's office.

At this moment, Martinez and Robledo face each other, one from the grandstand and the other from his chair. Robledo shouted to Martinez that he should not talk about the issue because he is prevented.

The prosecutor returned to the ground and began to give details of this statement. "What is written does not destroy it, it infuses it," he added. And he added that Pizano had added that the value of the bridges of the Ruta del Sol rose to 86 billion pesos. He added that there was no "tapen-tapen" because copies had been certified true to the Attorney General, as 11 senators and representatives could be involved. The same package has also arrived, according to the prosecutor, to the Supreme Court of Justice. "The facade of these contracts knew the country through the Attorney General's office," he said.

According to critics that some countries are conducting more advanced research, he explained that other types of cooperation agreements do not allow the transfer of evidence, unlike Colombia.

Martinez also spoke of the setback that the entity has experienced this week in the investigation of the death of Pizanos. As you know the law gives the Office of the Prosecutor 36 hours to legalize the evidence and, in the case of the diligence exercised in the home of the family, despite the delicate nature of the case, it was not carried out in the deadlines.

The prosecutor stated that it was the same family that had delivered mobile phones, computers and other evidence, so that it was the Office of the Prosecutor who had investigated the elements of this investigation from the view of the victims. "And now they say the raid is illegal!" The prosecutor badured that there was no raid, but that it was a judicial inspection of the place of the facts. "They walk with the same purpose to see how the investigation is opened! If they want computers, they tell us and we will give them back," said Martínez.

The phrase with which the congresswoman Angélica Lozano began: "The one who makes her pay", was also used by Nestor Humberto Martinez to close his speech. He rejected the senator's proposal to entrust the investigation to a stranger.

"The country knows that the country has fought an epic battle against corruption," he said before concluding. He added that his entity had sued 2,505 people for bribery in two years for events involving more than 4 billion pesos. "I have never been able to think that this motivated the greatest hatreds and quarrels against the prosecutor".

Martinez, who had promised to talk about conspirators, spent a few minutes talking about one of the protagonists in this network that rings the most for this position. "Mr. Luis Fernando Andrade, Director of ANI, in the process of hiring Ruta del Sol maintained the thesis that I was pursuing him and I have always said that Mr. Andrade is not sure. He was not messed up with money, but that does not exempt him from the responsibilities he has badumed, "he said.