16 called to state bank trial
A DATE has been set for the preliminary hearing of the criminal proceedings over the Caja de Ahorros (CA) case over questionable loans, but how many of the 16 high profile defendants will appear in court is questionable.
The 13th Circuit Criminal Court has set the date as
from March 27 to 29.
Among the defendants are Riccardo Francolini, former CA chairman from 20092014, as well as other ex-board members Ricardo Chanis, Anastacio Ruiz De Leon, Fernando Correa and Ricardo Arango Pezet.
Also charged are former bank officials Jayson Pastor and Rodrigo Arosemena Pino.
Francolini and Pastor are detained preemptively in the case.
According to prosecutors, the bank officials “did not act as social guards responsible for the correct and timely fulfillment of the duties and administration of the assets given in their custody.”
The case specifically relates to a line of credit granted to the consortium HPC ContratosP&V
for the construction of the Amador convention center in 2012.
Others involved in the case are Felipe Pipo Virzi, who has used a number of ploys to dodge trial in other cases,Tobias Garrido, Jairzon Hurtado, Manuel
Morales, Ricardo Calvo, Claudio Poma Murialdo, Mauricio Ortiz.
The list also includes West Valdes and Iván Clare, exdirectors of Financial Pacific (FP). Who have links to another scandal involving ex-president Ricardo Martinelli.
Both suspects have fled the country.
