MISSING DRUG AID COSTS COLOMBIAN CHIEF HIS JOB

BOGOTA, Colombia - The head of Colombia's anti-narcotics police was removed
on Friday after about $2 million in U.S. drug war aid allegedly vanished
into the pockets of some of his officers.

The widening corruption scandal had already led to the suspension of some
U.S. aid to Washington's key drug-war ally and the dismissals of at least
12 police officers.

Gen. Gustavo Socha was reassigned to a police unit that provides security
to dignitaries, said Gen. Ernesto Gilibert, chief of the Colombian National
Police.

He said Socha has not been found personally involved in any wrongdoing,
calling him "an honest man, a transparent man," but said he had to go to
lend "transparency" to the investigation into the missing money.

On Thursday, the U.S. Embassy said it suspended some aid to the
counter-narcotics police after discovering two months ago that a
"significant amount of money" was missing.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States thought
action would be taken against still more Colombian police officials.

"When that's happened, we can resume full administrative support for
Colombian counter-narcotics police activities. There's about $2 million
involved," Boucher said.

A U.S. Embassy official said about 20 members of the police are thought to
have taken money "for personal ends."

The embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pilfered
account covers police administrative expenses and other items including
fuel for vehicles. It receives about $4 million in U.S. aid a year, part of
Washington's support to President Andres Pastrana's drug-fighting effort,
the official said.

The U.S. Embassy said Washington's confidence in the Colombian
anti-narcotics police remains "unshaken" despite the lost funds.

"This type of incident can happen in any organization," the embassy said in
a statement, adding that it expects aid to resume once action is taken
against officers who were involved.

Gen. Jorge Linares, National Police operations chief, will take Socha's place.

Colombia's anti-narcotics police have managed hundreds of millions of
dollars of U.S. aid over the years, much of it for the aerial fumigation of
illegal drug crops, using U.S.-supplied aircraft and herbicides.

Washington pumped $1.7 billion in aid in the past two years to the police,
military and civilian institutions, most of it for anti-drug operations,
with police getting about 15 percent of the assistance. The Bush
administration seeks to widen Washington's aid to help Colombia battle
leftist insurgents who are financed by drug trafficking, extortion and
kidnapping.