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Colombia intelligence chief quits

Mr Noguera asked the authorities to investigate the accusations

Colombia's intelligence chief has quit amid allegations that his security agency was infiltrated by the main right-wing paramilitary group.

President Alvaro Uribe accepted the resignation of Jorge Noguera, the head of the Administrative Security Department (DAS).

Mr Noguera denied the accusations, which were published in a local newspaper.

President Uribe also dismissed the agency's deputy director, Jose Narvaez.

The daily El Tiempo reported that DAS officers were secretly taped while discussing alleged plans by a close aide to Mr Noguera to sell intelligence information to Colombia's paramilitaries.

The newspaper also claimed that Mr Narvaez asked for the recording to be made to ensnare his boss in the scandal, revealing deep divisions within the agency.

Mr Narvaez denied any wrongdoing.

President Uribe agreed that the two officials should leave the organisation to put an end to the crisis, according to officials.

The Colombian vice-minister of defence, Andres Penate, has taken over the DAS while the government investigates the allegations.

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Full story.

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Colombia's secret police resigns amid dispute
07:31 2005-10-26
President Alvaro Uribe accepted the resignation of Colombia's secret police chief and fired the agency's No. 2 figure amid reports of bitter infighting between the two.

Jorge Noguera, director of the secret police known as the DAS, told reporters that Uribe "was very angry about this situation and after speaking with him, I presented my resignation."
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Colombian daily El Tiempo reported Tuesday that Narvaez was involved in a plan to make it look like the DAS was going to sell intelligence to Colombia's outlawed far-right paramilitary militias as part of a campaign to ensnare Noguera in a scandal.
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The DAS has been hit by a string of other scandals recently, including alleged misappropriation of funds and accusations that a regional DAS chief in northwest Colombia had fabricated a plot to assassinate Uribe in order to take credit for foiling the attack.

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Edited for HTML style.

[ 26 October 2005: Message edited by: blake 3:17 ]