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Colombian prosecutors imputed charges against Laura Sarabia before the Supreme Court of Justice on September 14, 2026 for her actions surrounding a polygraph test administered to her son’s former nanny. The Prosecutor’s Office accused the ex-foreign minister and one-time chief of staff to President Gustavo Petro of abuse of public function, aggravated unlawful coercion and peculado por uso. Fiscal Patricia Hernández argued that Sarabia exceeded her authority by using state resources and presidential security personnel to resolve a personal theft allegation. Sarabia rejected the charges during the hearing according to Infobae. The case centers on events from January 2023 that escalated into a major political controversy.[[6]](https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2026/09/15/asi-fue-como-laura-sarabia-abuso-de-su-cargo-para-someter-a-marelbys-meza-al-poligrafo-segun-la-fiscalia-desbordo-su-competencia/)
A briefcase containing several thousand dollars disappeared from Sarabia’s apartment on January 29, 2023, prompting her to identify Marelbys Meza as the main suspect. Sarabia contacted Colonel Carlos Alberto Feria by telephone that evening and instructed him to conduct a polygraph examination on the nanny EL PAÍS reported. Officials transported Meza in a government vehicle to a facility linked to the presidential palace for the test which the Prosecutor’s Office described as irregular and outside approved institutional protocols. The nanny had no attorney present during the interrogation. Prosecutors determined that the procedure misused presidential security structures for a domestic matter.[[2]](https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2026-09-14/la-fiscalia-imputa-cargos-a-laura-sarabia-por-la-prueba-de-poligrafo-a-marelbys-meza.html)
Meza told Semana that officers accused her of theft and that the ordeal felt like a kidnapping according to the BBC. She said interrogators threatened her with imprisonment if she did not cooperate. The nanny maintained her innocence throughout the process and later spoke publicly about feeling followed and surveilled. The Prosecutor’s Office noted that her phone was subsequently wiretapped under the false pretense of a link to the Gulf Clan drug cartel. This element broadened the scandal beyond the polygraph itself.[[7]](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c61580330nj1o)
The revelations triggered the June 2023 resignations of Sarabia as chief of staff and Armando Benedetti as ambassador to Venezuela after mutual accusations surfaced between the two former allies of Petro. A police officer attached to presidential security who sought to collaborate with investigators died in an apparent suicide days later the Financial Times reported at the time. The episode damaged the early months of Petro’s leftist administration as it pursued ambitious social reforms. Public attention focused on allegations of abuse of power within the presidential inner circle. The scandal drew comparisons to past Colombian surveillance controversies.[[3]](https://www.ft.com/content/d6279834-4ed6-4f78-b9ac-c969369a0321)
Sarabia continued in senior government roles after the initial scandal including as director of social prosperity head of the Administrative Department of the Presidency foreign minister and ambassador to the United Kingdom according to Colombia One. The investigation appeared to stall for more than three years before prosecutors revived it with the formal charges this week. The Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that polygraph tests in criminal matters fall exclusively under judicial authority and not presidential staff. Evidence presented showed Sarabia leveraged her position as head of the presidential office to initiate the test. The hearing will proceed to consideration of pretrial measures.[[1]](https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/14/colombia-laura-sarabia-charged-three-crimes-polygraph-case/)
Infobae reported that the Prosecutor’s Office will seek to prove Sarabia desbordó su competencia by directing security officials to act on a private dispute. The agency highlighted the use of official vehicles and facilities tied to the Casa de Nariño for the unauthorized examination. Sarabia has not commented publicly on the latest developments since the hearing. The case returns to prominence as Petro’s presidential term has concluded. Prosecutors continue to build their file on the sequence of events from 2023.
