Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos has dismissed the chief of the armed forces over disparaging comments about inquiries into extrajudicial killings.
Mr Santos said General Leonardo Barrero had been sacked for 'disrespectful remarks' that emerged as part of an investigation into allegedly corrupt procurement deals by the military.
The allegations were published by the Colombian weekly magazine Semana.
Another four generals were dismissed over alleged wrongdoing in contracts.
Gen Barrero's remarks were caught on secretly recorded phone conversations made while investigators looked into the corruption allegations.
'Like a mafia'
President Santos stressed that Gen Barrero was being sacked for his comments about the inquiries into the extrajudicial killings known as 'false positives' - thousands of murdered civilians who were passed off by the military as rebels killed in combat.
'The commander of the armed forces is not leaving for any corruption deeds but for his disrespectful remarks about the judiciary,' Mr Santos said, adding that the other officers 'knew about the irregularities and did not act'.
On the recorded audio, Gen Barrero can be heard telling an imprisoned colonel that officers should join forces 'like a mafia' against investigating judges.
The Semana report suggests that part of the money was channelled to officers with suspecte.