The denial of the Eighth Criminal Court of the Specialized Circuit of Bogotá DC to the request for preclusion made by the defense of Sandra Liliana Ortiz Nova keeps the criminal proceedings against her open for money laundering and influence peddling as a public servant.
The decision implies that the case will move to the trial stage, in accordance with the provisions of the court.
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The judicial office argued that the defense failed to demonstrate the non-existence of the facts investigated, since the evidence and stories presented by the Prosecutor’s Office support the continuity of the process.
Thus, the resolution rejects that the alleged discrepancy over the place of execution of a contract nullifies the accusation of administrative corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
According to the Eighth Criminal Court of the Specialized Circuit of Bogotá DC, the events under investigation took place between September and December 2023.
He points out that high-level officials, including Carlos Ramón González Merchán —then director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency—and Olmedo de Jesús López Martínez—director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (Ungrd)—, would have participated in the irregular delivery of contracts and sums of money to congressmen, under the direct management of Ortiz Nova.
Among the mentioned beneficiaries are Iván Leónidas Name Vásquez and Andrés David Calle, former presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.
The file details events in which at least 1.5 billion pesos in cash were transported using official vehicles to deliver these resources.
In 2025, the Attorney General’s Office presented the formal accusation against the former official for allegedly having used her position to favor personal interests and third parties, aspects that, according to the court, constitute the center of the accusation.
The defense of Sandra Liliana Ortiz Nova requested estoppel under the argument of “nonexistence of the fact investigated,” alleging that the contract indicated by the prosecution —with file 9677PPAL-001-727 of 2022—was not executed in Repelón (Atlántico), but in Girón (Santander), according to information from the Ungrd. He argued that this difference in the location of the contract eliminated the basis for charges of influence peddling and money laundering.
The defender stated that “when the fact that gave rise to the crime of trafficking in the influence of a public servant disappears, the underlying crime that gives rise to money laundering also disappears.” In this way, he defended the non-existence of the crimes charged.
The Attorney General’s Office requested to deny the estoppel, ensuring that “the imputed and accused fact did exist”. He pointed out that Ortiz Nova’s efforts transcended the location or existence of the contract, and focused on influence peddling and irregular management of resources linked to other public officials.
The victims’ representative maintained that the defense presented only an isolated discrepancy and stressed that to prove the non-existence of the facts there must be clear and conclusive evidence. He criticized that the defense had not requested clarification at the corresponding procedural moment, which is why, in his opinion, the request was unfounded.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office recognized that there was inaccuracy in the contractual information but considered that this information did not eliminate the legally relevant facts nor did it support the estoppel sought by the defense.
For the Eighth Criminal Court of the Specialized Circuit of Bogotá DC, the defense addressed only a part of the accusation related to the contract and did not refute the set of legally relevant facts that support the crimes charged.
The court stressed that both influence peddling and money laundering have independent elements, and do not depend exclusively on the existence or location of a specific contract.
The ruling indicated that the axis of influence peddling lies in the improper use of the position and influencing other public servants; while money laundering covers actions of transportation, administration or concealment of assets of illicit origin. The alleged nonexistence or error regarding the indicated contract does not constitute, by itself, sufficient proof that the events investigated did not occur.
The court emphasized that the evaluation of the defense arguments corresponds to the oral trial and cannot be anticipated at this procedural stage. For this reason, it resolved that the process must advance towards trial.
With the resolution, the accusation of money laundering and influence peddling against Sandra Liliana Ortiz Nova will continue in the trial phase before the competent court. The Eighth Criminal Court of the Specialized Circuit of Bogotá DC emphasized the independence of its decision and determined that the criminal investigation will remain open so that all evidence can be presented and debated during the oral process in accordance with legal principles.
In this way, the court emphasized that the requirements to decree the alleged preclusion are not met, so the judicial proceedings continue and the oral trial will be the stage to decide on the criminal responsibility of the former official.
