The 27th criminal judge of the Medellín circuit Miguel Quintero Calle was sent to house arrestbrother of the former mayor of the capital of Antioquia, Daniel Quinterofor the case of irregular routing of contracts between the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley and the Itagüí Fire Department, in which the accused would have been the determiner and, in addition, would have appropriated more than 2,481 million pesos.
According to the body of evidence presented by the Attorney General’s OfficeMiguel Quintero, as an individual, would have had a key influence in the contracting of the AMVA between the years 2020 and 2023. Specifically, would have ordered the routing of six contracts for a value greater than 17,657 million pesos to the Itagüí Fire Department.
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Miguel Quintero during the accusation hearing against him. Photo:THE TIME.
Subsequently, according to the material evidence presented by the accusing body, Quintero Calle would have charged 15% of the value of each contract as bribes.
During the investigation, The Prosecutor’s Office detected alleged cost overruns in the kits acquired within the framework of these contracts during the pandemic, payments for transportation services that were not provided and cell phone recharges that were also not carried out. These and other anomalies would have caused a patrimonial detriment exceeding 2,481 million pesos which was possible, in accordance with the acquis, thanks to the collaboration of several AMVA senior officials and the Itagüí firefighters.
One of the most controversial points of the case involving Miguel Quintero is Where did the diverted money go? of contracts in the Metropolitan Area.
The answer to that question could be found in the body of evidence built by the Prosecutor’s Office.
After the 27th criminal judge read the meaning of his ruling against Quintero last Friday, one day later, October 3the brother of the former mayor of Medellín He was booked into the Bellavista prisonfrom the municipality of Bello, to later begin its house arrest.
After the review process of which the mugshot photo was known, Inpec uniformed officers transferred Quintero to the residence, proven to be the former councilor’s home, in which must face the custodial sentence which was imposed on October 2.
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Original photo by Miguel Quintero after his review in the Bellavista prison. Photo:Supplied.
At this point the main controversy broke out that surrounds the process in this instance and that, in fact, was pointed out by the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutierrez.
After learning that Quintero should face the rest of the judicial process under house arrest, the mayor of the capital of Antioquia referred to the judge’s decision, emphasizing a particular aspect: the property where Quintero will remain deprived of liberty preventively.
“I do not agree that comply with security measures in the house that built with resources that were stolen from Medellín and who bullied his ‘little friends’ so much. And even less because within the process they were warned pressure on witnesses and risks of obstruction of justice. And you can’t continue doing it from home?”
The house in which Miguel Quintero Calle must undergo house arrest is a luxurious estatelocated in the La Veta villagein the vicinity of Copacabana and Girardota, in the north of the Aburrá Valley.
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This is the luxurious country house where Quintero Calle will spend house arrest. Photo:Courtesy Gloria Patricia Jaramillo.
This house, located on a lot of about 2,800 square meters, It consists of three floorsincluding a garage for several vehicles. The luxurious property, whose value would be around 1,600 million pesos According to the price per square meter in that area of the region, it would have a constructed area of approximately 200 square meters, between the two main floors, approximately.
This home was already public knowledge, since, prior to Quintero’s accusation, as part of the body of evidence of the process it was revealed that, within the framework of the meetings to determine the contracting of the AMVA and the direction of the entity’s contracts, those involved met at this property.
Furthermore, in chats held by the Attorney General’s Office, extracts have been known in which Quintero himself boasted a series of reforms to which the house was subjected.
According to observers who have followed the case, the reforms carried out by Quintero would include landscape remodeling for more than 30 million of pesos and the installation of a swimming pool whose cost was around 160 million pesos, in addition to a jacuzzi inside the property.
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The house has a swimming pool, installed during the pandemic, and whose value would amount to $160 million. Photo:Courtesy Sebastián Estrada.
The conditions under which Quintero will face house arrest have led to controversy being generated around the comforts that you will enjoy, even coining the term ‘mansion’ for prison.
Both the Attorney General’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office probably agree with those comments; That is why, at the end of the reading of the ruling by criminal judge 27, the two delegates of the entities They expressed their intention to appeal the decision of the robe, with the purpose of getting a judge of second instance send Quintero Calle to preventive detention while the judicial process is underway.
Appeals will begin this Monday, October 5at 2 in the afternoon.
NICOLAS TAMAYO ESCALANTE
Journalist from Nación, in Medellín.
