Óscar Iván Zuluaga donates property to his wife just on the day of the indictment
A loving husband or a man who knows how to play his game? Notarial records speak for themselves
In the midst of the scandal over alleged illicit enrichment, former presidential candidate Óscar Iván Zuluaga has made a series of movements in the ownership of his properties in order to protect his assets. According to an ongoing investigation, Zuluaga would have transferred three million-dollar properties to his wife the same day he was charged with illicit enrichment, falsification of a private document, and procedural fraud.
The notarial records reveal that Zuluaga donated to his wife, Martha Ligia Martínez, a house in the Alto de Marianita country condominium, in Pennsylvania (Caldas). This 126-square-meter property was acquired by Zuluaga in 1993 and is valued at 23 million pesos at the time. In addition, Zuluaga transferred to his wife his participation in two more assets, including a warehouse in the Puerto Central industrial park, near the Bogotá free zone, and an apartment in Rincón del Chicó, in the north of Bogotá. .
The transaction of the winery was carried out in May 2021, when Zuluaga's mother and eight uncles of the former candidate acquired the property for 2,100 million pesos. Then, in December 2022, Zuluaga's mother donated her percentage to Óscar Iván and his three brothers. Subsequently, Zuluaga transferred his share to his wife in the same notary office on the same day.
As for the apartment in Rincón del Chicó, it was bought by Zuluaga's mother, who later donated the property to her three children in December 2022. Óscar Iván Zuluaga transferred his share to his wife at the same notary, in a move fast and efficient.
It should be noted that the only property that still appears in the name of Zuluaga is an apartment that he bought in 1995 in Rincón del Chicó. The former candidate faces charges of illicit enrichment, the crime with the highest sentence, and it is expected that he will negotiate with the Prosecutor's Office to resolve his legal situation, including the charges of falsification of a private document and procedural fraud.
The judicial process against Zuluaga is looming long and the properties acquired in questionable circumstances have remained in the hands of his own family. The Prosecutor's Office continues to investigate the details of these transactions in order to clarify the facts and determine the corresponding responsibilities.
