Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was convicted Friday of bribing a witness and procedural fraud, following several hours of sentencing in a case that spanned more than a decade.

Bogota, Colombia — Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was convicted of witness tampering and bribery Monday in a historic trial that gripped the South American nation and threatened to tarnish the conservative strongman’s legacy.

A Colombian judge on Monday convicted former President Alvaro Uribe of abuse of process and bribery of a public official in a long-running witness tampering case, making him the country’s first ex-president to ever be found guilty at trial.

The ruling, which Uribe’s legal team said he will appeal, is the latest in a long-running, hugely politicised case.

A Colombian judge on Monday convicted former President Alvaro Uribe of abuse of process and bribery of a public official, making him the first ex-president in the country's history to be found guilty at trial.

"No one is above the law, and no one is beneath its protection.” The post 'That's what you get': Police officer murdered motorcyclist who would not pull over for traffic stop, DA says first appeared on Law & Crime.