Bogota, Oct 14

The governor of the northern province of La Guajira was arrested by Colombian attorney general's Office agents on murder and criminal conspiracy charges, officials said Sunday.

Jose Francisco Gomez Cerchar was arrested Saturday on a warrant issued by prosecutor Martha Lucia Zamora. Gomez, known as "Kiko", is being investigated for allegedly having links to paramilitary groups.

The governor has been linked to the 1997 murder of Barrancas city councilman Luis Lopez Peralta and the killings in 2000 of Luis Alejandro Rodriguez Frias and Rosa Mercedes Cabrera Alfaro, deputy attorney general Jorge Perdomo said.

Investigators have also linked Gomez to militia chief Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, known as "Jorge 40", and other paramilitary groups.

Tovar Pupo was one of the top leaders of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC. Gomez was arrested in his hometown of Barrancas, where he was attending a festival.

By:IANS