Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery in a historic case that gripped the South American nation and tarnished the conservative strongman’s legacy.

Colombian former President Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and a fraud charge. The 73-year-old is the first former president in the country's history to be convicted of a crime. He has also been barred from public office and fined $578,000 (£435,000).

By bnm Gulf bureau Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez was sentenced to 12 years house arrest for procedural fraud and bribery in criminal proceedings, Bogotá criminal judge Sandra Liliana Heredia ruled on August 1.