A Colombian supreme court panel Thursday overturned a 12-year ban from holding public office of the former mayor of Colombia's second largest city Medellin.

The Council of State, which rules in cases involving public administration, deemed the former sanction on Alonso Salazar as disproportionately harsh.

Salazar was barred from public office in 2011 by the Prosecutor General's Office for allegedly manipulating local elections. According to local media, Salazar released slanderous pictures and statements via his twitter account to accuse one of his aspiring successors of ties with criminal gangs.

Salazar served as mayor of Medellin from 2008 to 2011, and as the city's government secretary from 2004 to 2006.