Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has been found guilty of witness tampering and bribery charges in a historic trial that gripped the South American nation and threatened to tarnish the conservative strongman’s legacy.

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

Colombia's former president Álvaro Uribe has been found guilty of witness tampering and procedural fraud in a landmark trial on Monday, the first time a former head of state in the country has been convicted of a criminal offence.