A Colombian judge on Monday convicted former President Alvaro Uribe of abuse of process and bribery of a public official in a long-running witness tampering case, making him the country’s first ex-president to ever be found guilty at trial.

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, 73, has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest for abuse of process and bribery of a public official, marking the first conviction of a former Colombian head of state.

Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe was sentenced Friday to 12 years of house arrest for witness tampering and bribery in a historic case that gripped the South American nation and tarnished the conservative strongman's legacy.