BOGOTA: Colombian prosecutors closed a criminal investigation Friday into Bogota's mayor, who was temporarily removed from office last year following a months-long battle in court.
Gustavo Petro, a former leader of the now defunct M-19 guerrilla group, was elected to serve as mayor of Bogota, home to seven million people, from 2012 to 2016.
But he was sacked in December by Colombia's inspector general, who said Petro had abused his powers by eliminating private garbage collection contracts to replace them with a city-run service.
In the midst of the convoluted political saga, President Juan Manuel Santos then reinstated Petro in April, following a request by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
"The closing of the criminal investigation against me is a triumph for all of Bogota. For a democratic and progressive Bogota," Petro said on Twitter.
Petro, himself a former guerrilla, had argued that his removal from office would undermine confidence in peace talks currently under way between the Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels.
The controversy over Petro's sacking ignited numerous protests in Bogota in support of the 54-year-old economist.
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