Mission Perseus of Zeus
Weird things a-brewing in Colombia. Apparently, under a secret plan code-named "Mission Perseus of Zeus," a Colombian federal prosecutor hired a psychic to hypnotize his staff and perform an exorcism with a voodoo doll, all the while paying him with government money and allowing protection for the psychic in the form of an armored car. And no, this isn't the plot from The Brady Bunch South American Vacation.
Choice quotes:
The psychic, on his work: "My work didn't consist of witchcraft or anything paranormal, but scientifically proven techniques to boost morale and release tension among the staff."
The psychic, on why he needed armored car protection: "I needed protection, not from outside the bunker, but from the internal divisions within."
And who leaked this embarrassing information to the press? Not Greg Brady, but "dark forces," according to the Colombian federal prosecutor.
Psychic causes scandal for Colombian prosecutor
Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- Colombia's chief prosecutor hired a psychic who hypnotized his staff and even performed an exorcism over a voodoo doll in exchange for a government paycheck and use of an armored car.
The federal prosecutor, Mario Iguarán, says he hired Armando Martí last year to help his stressed-out staff deal with a crushing caseload and to improve human relations.
Martí, a self-described clairvoyant, claims to have implicated corrupt workers in illegal wiretaps and bribery during the months he spent roaming the prosecutor's heavily fortified bunker, hypnotizing officials and writing up classified reports for Iguarán about staff loyalty.
He says workers confessed to deep secrets and ratted out colleagues as they stared into his eyes. The operation, according to leaked documents published by the newsweekly Semana, was code-named "Mission Perseus of Zeus".
The revelation that Martí was granted unfettered access has plunged into scandal one of Colombia's most respected institutions, an independent body responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes in a nation torn by decades of violent, drug-fueled conflict.
In an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday, Martí called the Semana article accurate but sought to dispel the emphasis it placed on black magic.
"My work didn't consist of witchcraft or anything paranormal, but scientifically proven techniques to boost morale and release tension among the staff," he said.
What scandalized Colombians were revelations that the federal prosecutor's office paid the psychic as much as $1,800 a month and authorized him to carry a pistol and an employee badge, and to ride around in a government-issued armored vehicle.
"I needed protection, not from outside the bunker, but from the internal divisions within," Martí told the AP.
Martí said he became a confidant of Iguarán, one of the country's most trusted politicians, by helping him overcome marital problems.
Monday, Iguarán delivered a televised apology to the nation for the "unfortunate incident that began as something folksily quaint but that has now ended up affecting the institutional well-being of the federal prosecutor's office."
He said he had ordered his office to terminate its contract with the consulting team to which Martí belongs. He also offered to cooperate with any congressional investigation.
What remains unanswered is who leaked the embarrassing information -- and why.
Iguarán has attributed the leak to "dark forces." His potential enemies include cocaine kingpins trying to prevent extradition to the United States and government officials accused of working on their behalf.
Iguarán insists his relationship with Martí didn't affect his professional duty to uphold the law, but his loyalty to the psychic, even in the wake of the scandal, has left Colombia spellbound.
In an interview Monday evening, Iguarán said: "I have to confess he was my friend and as such I opened my hands, my house and my heart to him."
Choice quotes:
The psychic, on his work: "My work didn't consist of witchcraft or anything paranormal, but scientifically proven techniques to boost morale and release tension among the staff."
The psychic, on why he needed armored car protection: "I needed protection, not from outside the bunker, but from the internal divisions within."
And who leaked this embarrassing information to the press? Not Greg Brady, but "dark forces," according to the Colombian federal prosecutor.
Psychic causes scandal for Colombian prosecutor
Posted on Wed, Sep. 20, 2006
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- Colombia's chief prosecutor hired a psychic who hypnotized his staff and even performed an exorcism over a voodoo doll in exchange for a government paycheck and use of an armored car.
The federal prosecutor, Mario Iguarán, says he hired Armando Martí last year to help his stressed-out staff deal with a crushing caseload and to improve human relations.
Martí, a self-described clairvoyant, claims to have implicated corrupt workers in illegal wiretaps and bribery during the months he spent roaming the prosecutor's heavily fortified bunker, hypnotizing officials and writing up classified reports for Iguarán about staff loyalty.
He says workers confessed to deep secrets and ratted out colleagues as they stared into his eyes. The operation, according to leaked documents published by the newsweekly Semana, was code-named "Mission Perseus of Zeus".
The revelation that Martí was granted unfettered access has plunged into scandal one of Colombia's most respected institutions, an independent body responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes in a nation torn by decades of violent, drug-fueled conflict.
In an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday, Martí called the Semana article accurate but sought to dispel the emphasis it placed on black magic.
"My work didn't consist of witchcraft or anything paranormal, but scientifically proven techniques to boost morale and release tension among the staff," he said.
What scandalized Colombians were revelations that the federal prosecutor's office paid the psychic as much as $1,800 a month and authorized him to carry a pistol and an employee badge, and to ride around in a government-issued armored vehicle.
"I needed protection, not from outside the bunker, but from the internal divisions within," Martí told the AP.
Martí said he became a confidant of Iguarán, one of the country's most trusted politicians, by helping him overcome marital problems.
Monday, Iguarán delivered a televised apology to the nation for the "unfortunate incident that began as something folksily quaint but that has now ended up affecting the institutional well-being of the federal prosecutor's office."
He said he had ordered his office to terminate its contract with the consulting team to which Martí belongs. He also offered to cooperate with any congressional investigation.
What remains unanswered is who leaked the embarrassing information -- and why.
Iguarán has attributed the leak to "dark forces." His potential enemies include cocaine kingpins trying to prevent extradition to the United States and government officials accused of working on their behalf.
Iguarán insists his relationship with Martí didn't affect his professional duty to uphold the law, but his loyalty to the psychic, even in the wake of the scandal, has left Colombia spellbound.
In an interview Monday evening, Iguarán said: "I have to confess he was my friend and as such I opened my hands, my house and my heart to him."