A Colombian courtroom was treated to an unexpected moment when former President Alvaro Uribe was in trial after a prosecutor accidentally played a video of a naked woman rather than case evidence. The surprise mishap resulted in the courtroom erupting in laughter, while Uribe did not change expression.
Unintended Video Causes Laughter in Court
The accident happened when Prosecutor Marlene Orjuela tried to show evidence, but first showed a video of a dancing dwarf holding a liquor can. Soon after, an AI-produced video of a nude woman flashed on the screen, surprising everyone present.
Realizing her error, Orjuela immediately cut off the video and apologized. She said that she had mistakenly chosen the wrong clip rather than a series of recorded telephone calls about Uribe’s case.
“Your Honour, my apologies. We wanted to show everything that [Diego Cadena] had sent, but we didn’t foresee that this would happen,” Orjuela said.
Her fellow officer, Luz Mireya Lopez, explained that they possessed “We have 57 files consisting of videos and audio recording.”
Though she was in an embarrassing predicament, Orjuela fought to keep her composure as lawyers in the courtroom laughed. She continued, “My apologies, Your Honour, but, well… it’s just that…”
Uribe Faces Serious Charges
Though the courtroom moment was comedic by accident, Uribe’s trial is a serious court fight. The former Colombian president is charged with bribery and witness tampering. Prosecutors allege he bribed and offered other inducements to witnesses to discredit a political opponent who was investigating his family’s suspected links to right-wing paramilitary forces.
If convicted, the 71-year-old could face up to 12 years in prison for bribery, along with an additional eight years for procedural fraud.
Uribe has consistently denied all allegations, calling the charges “political vengeance” by Colombia’s chief prosecutor’s office. His next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Uribe’s Political Legacy
Alvaro Uribe was President of Colombia between 2002 and 2010. A strict anti-leftwing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fighter, he is still an influential figure on Colombia’s right-wing politics.
As the trial continues, the courtroom blunder has injected a surprise element into the publicized case, but the courtroom battle rages on with grim implications at stake.