Ecuador court orders arrest of Brussels-based ex-president Correa
Quito (AFP) –
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An Ecuador court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Brussels-based former president Rafael Correa over links to the kidnapping of an opponent in Colombia.
The National Court of Justice said Judge Daniella Camacho "resolves to impose preventive detention" against Correa and has alerted Interpol.
Correa, who was president from 2007-2017 and now lives in his wife's native Belgium, is under investigation for involvement in the kidnapping of former lawmaker Fernando Balda in 2012.
Last month, the court ordered Correa to appear in court every two weeks to assist the investigation.
Three police intelligence agents have already been ordered arrested in the case, in addition to an ex-police commander and a former top intelligence official, who was arrested last month in Spain.
Correa said in a recent Twitter message that he had no knowledge of the crime. "I don't know what they are linking me with, or to whom."
"Maybe they can get some false testimony. But they'll never prove anything, because there is nothing."
© 2018 AFP