The scheduled corruption hearing for Miguel Quintero Calle and three others was declared fallida by a Medellín judge on Monday, August 31, 2026, after defense lawyers successfully challenged the case’s unexpected administrative reassignment.
Monday’s legal proceeding at the Medellín municipal court complex marked the third time authorities have failed to advance the corruption case against Miguel Quintero Calle, the brother of former Medellín mayor Daniel Quintero Calle. Alongside Quintero Calle, the prosecution sought to formally impute charges against former Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) financial director Álvaro Alonso Villada García, former AMVA legal adviser and former Medellín environment secretary Vanessa Álvarez Restrepo, and businessman Sebastián de Dios Ortega, the son of an influential politician from Bello, as reported by El Colombiano.
Administrative Transfer Invalidates the Imputation Proceeding
The morning session hit a procedural roadblock before prosecutors could present their formal charges. The case had originally been assigned to the 27th Municipal Penal Court of Medellín with functions of control of guarantees. However, because that court’s presiding judge was on medical leave, the Judiciary’s Judicial Services Center reassigned the case file to the 39th Municipal Penal Court, according to coverage from Infobae.
When the new session got underway shortly after 3:00 p.m., defense attorney Santiago Trespalacios immediately challenged the transfer. Trespalacios argued that under the Superior Council of the Judicatura’s Acuerdo PCSJA26-12570, issued August 18, 2026, a suspended preliminary hearing that is already scheduled must remain with the original court unless an explicit statutory impediment exists. The presiding judge of the 39th Penal Court agreed, ruling that the situation constituted a rescheduling rather than a new distribution.
Here there is a public interest, but we judges cannot skip the laws, in this case that agreement, and there is no immediate expiration of terms. Presiding judge, 39th Municipal Penal Court of Medellín
The court ordered the case folder returned to the Judicial Services Center so it can be reassigned back to the 27th Municipal Penal Court once that judge returns from incapacitation. Under the ruling, a new date must be scheduled within five business days, as detailed by Caracol Radio.
The Contracts and Financial Allegations Involving AMVA and Bomberos Itagüí
The underlying investigation centers on public funds administered through the Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá. Prosecutors are examining six separate contracts executed between 2020 and 2021 with the Cuerpo de Bomberos Voluntarios de Itagüí, which surpass significant sums in combined value.
Investigators allege that the contractual scheme led to an unlawful appropriation of approximately $2.481 million pesos and involved kickbacks exceeding $3.200 million pesos.
Key Testimony and Prior Judicial Outcomes in the Investigation
The case against Quintero Calle and his co-defendants relies heavily on cooperation agreements secured from insiders.
Additionally, Juan Alberto Cardona Henao, a former accountant and treasurer for the Itagüí firefighters, accepted a preagreement with authorities and became the first person convicted in the probe.
Political Fallout and International Inquiries Raised by Medellín Leadership
Medellín Mayor Federico Gutiérrez expressed strong frustration on social media following the third postponement, accusing the defense of employing deliberate stalling tactics to evade accountability.
They try to delay the process and evade justice again. Do not confuse delaying with escaping. Federico Gutiérrez, Mayor of Medellín
Meanwhile, former mayor Daniel Quintero has publicly defended his brother, asserting that the accusations lack merit.
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