Full Breakdown
Former Colombian Minister Laura Sarabia Charged Over 2023 Polygraph Incident
By Drooid · · How we work
The Polygraph Case and New Charges
Colombian prosecutors have formally filed three criminal charges against Laura Camila Sarabia Torres, former chief of staff to President Gustavo Petro and former foreign minister. The indictment alleges abuse of public office, illegal coercion and misappropriation of use for ordering a polygraph test of her former nanny, Marelbys Meza Buelvas, in an attempt to locate money that disappeared from Sarabia’s residence in early 2023. The hearing began in mid-September 2026, reviving a scandal that first emerged in 2023.
Legal Allegations and Prosecutorial Claims
The Prosecutor’s Office argues that Sarabia, while heading the Presidential Office, lacked authority to direct a polygraph on a private employee; that authority resides with the head of Presidential Protection. It contends the test, conducted at facilities of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre), was a misuse of state resources for a personal matter. Prosecutors further claim Sarabia exerted unlawful pressure on Meza, who was economically vulnerable, by involving police and security personnel. The third charge asserts that state assets were employed to address a private loss, constituting embezzlement through use. The indictment requests a total prison term of nine years and six months.
Sarabia’s Response and Defense
Sarabia has denied any wrongdoing, stating in a social-media post on September 6 2026 that her lawyers are handling the case and that she respects judicial authorities. During a hearing, she rejected the accusations without elaborating. Her defense team, led by former Attorney General Mario Iguarán, expressed surprise at the embezzlement charge and questioned the Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to pursue it.
Timeline and Positions Held
- In early 2023, a briefcase containing personal items and cash went missing from Sarabia’s home; the money was later reported as roughly 150 million pesos (about 31,000 euros), later cited in the complaint as 6,500 euros.
- Sarabia ordered the polygraph test in late January 2023, after reporting the loss to the head of presidential security.
- She resigned as chief of staff in mid-2023, later served as foreign minister, head of Social Prosperity, head of Dapre, and was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom.
- In 2025, she and her lawyers compensated Meza for damages, according to local media.
Potential Sentencing and Next Steps
The Prosecutor’s Office has asked for a combined sentence of nine years and six months. The case now proceeds through Colombia’s judicial system, with the outcome expected to set a precedent on the permissible use of state resources for personal matters.