{
  "id": 7375602,
  "title": "Laura Sarabia Charged with Three Crimes in Colombia’s Polygraph Case",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/laura-sarabia-charged-with-three-crimes-in-colombias-polygraph-case",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T18:21:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/14/colombia-laura-sarabia-charged-three-crimes-polygraph-case/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Colombia's Prosecutor's Office has formally charged former presidential confidant Laura Sarabia with three crimes in connection with a controversial polygraph test administered to a domestic employee. The charges, which include abuse of public office, unlawful coercion, and embezzlement through use, stem from the case involving the disappearance of money from Sarabia's residence in January 2023.\n\nAccording to the Prosecutor's Office, Sarabia, who was head of the Presidential Office at the time, allegedly used her position to pressure Marelbys Meza, a domestic employee, into undergoing the polygraph test without a court order. The test was conducted at facilities belonging to the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre) in Bogotá. Sarabia reportedly asked her husband to have Meza taken to the residence for the procedure, which took place on January 30, 2023.\n\nThe Prosecutor's Office maintains that Sarabia's actions were improper because abuse of public office occurred by ordering the polygraph without the necessary authority. They also allege unlawful coercion due to the power dynamic between Sarabia and Meza, as Meza was economically vulnerable and feared the consequences of losing her job. Additionally, the Prosecutor's Office claims that Sarabia embezzled state resources by using Dapre facilities and public officials to address a personal matter.",
  "summary": "Colombia’s Prosecutor’s Office charged Laura Sarabia on Monday with three crimes for her alleged responsibility in the actions surrounding the polygraph test administered to Marelbys Meza, who worked as a domestic employee at the home of Gustavo Petro’s then-senior government official. The hearing, which began on Sept. 14, revives one of the scandals that most […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}