Alleged hacker video roils last days of Colombian presidential campaign

A hacker scandal involving a video is sending shockwaves through Colombia's presidential campaign just days before Sunday's election, making the already volatile electoral process even more contentious as parties accuse each other of dirty tricks and schemes, CNN reported.

The video published by the weekly news magazine "Semana" in Bogotá allegedly shows Óscar Iván Zuluaga, the leading presidential candidate, getting secret military information from a man who was arrested earlier this month and accused of illegal hacking activities.

Andrés Sepúlveda, 29, was arrested on May 5 and accused of "managing an illegal office dedicated to intercepting emails from between those close to the peace dialogues in Havana (Cuba)," according to a news release published by the Colombian attorney general's office.

The government of President Juan Manuel Santos, who is running for re-election, has held peace talks with the Marxist FARC guerrillas since late 2012.

Authorities confiscated 69 pieces of evidence, including computers and USB drives belonging to the suspect, according to the attorney general's office.

Zuluaga told reporters the five-minute video is "a vulgar montage" put together to smear his campaign.

"This video montage is a trap. It's no coincidence that it's been published when I'm on top in the polls and the president is going down," Zuluaga said.

Santos has not commented directly on the video.