Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was sentenced by a judge on Friday to 12 years of house arrest for abuse of process and bribery of a public official, in a long-running case over connections to former right-wing paramilitaries.

Mr. Uribe, a towering figure in Colombian politics, was accused of trying to bribe a former paramilitary to retract testimony damaging to him.

I t took Judge Sandra Heredia over ten hours on July 28th to read her judgment in the case against Álvaro Uribe, Colombia’s president from 2002 to 2010. Her verdict, when it came, was that he was guilty of arranging the bribing of witnesses and of perverting justice.

BOGOTA (Reuters) -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.

Colombia’s former president Álvaro Uribe has petitioned the Supreme Court to lift his house arrest while he appeals a 12-year sentence for witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

Uribe, who denies any wrongdoing, has pledged to appeal following his conviction for witness tampering and bribery.

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest after being found guilty of procedural fraud and witness bribery.

Judge Sandra Heredia wants the sentence to be applied immediately in what has become the most significant court case in recent Colombian history. But his defense said they will appeal

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was found guilty of paying militia fighters to withdraw testimony linking him to right-wing paramilitary groups.