Daniel Quintero launched a criticism against Vice President José Manuel Restrepo over The Book of Truth, a document that the Government of President Abelardo De La Espriella presented on 18 August with the findings obtained during the transition process.
Quintero affirmed that the Vice President "started by lying" when claiming that the Government delivered a report with 82 documented cases. After reviewing the 135-page document, the former Medellín mayor noted that the cases are divided into two distinct groups: 59 from "sectoral balance" described as "alleged management problems" and 23 from the "Elite Anti-Corruption Team".
"Adding both gives you 82, but mixing them inflates the narrative," Quintero affirmed. He also argued that a large part of the accusations are not acts of corruption but questions about management, and that several would be supported by audits from the Comptroller's Office that already existed.
Restrepo had described the presentation of the document as a "historic act of transparency" and explained that it responds to an instruction from President De La Espriella to conduct a "technical, rigorous and forensic" review. The Vice President noted that the report was delivered to the Attorney General, the Prosecutor General and the Comptroller General so they may act in accordance with their powers.
De La Espriella affirmed that The Book of Truth constitutes a "technical and legal overview" of the irregularities found and assured that "there will be no cover-ups or impunity" for those who have plundered national resources. The dispute now opens a controversy over the interpretation of the 82 cases: while the Government presents them as documented during the transition, Quintero maintains that not all can be treated as alleged acts of corruption.
