Lawmakers back down on audit petitions

EIGHT lawmakers who rushed to file petitions in the Supreme Court o disqualify the audits by the Comptroller General  Office of communal and municipal boards have had a change of heart and withdrawn their appeals, amidst widespread civil condemnation.

Judicial Branch sources have told La Prensa that the withdrawals are in the office of Judge  Angela Russo, rapporteur for the amparo. The information was confirmed by  Democratic Change (CD)  deputy and president of the National Assembly, Yanibel Ábrego, who had presented one of the amparos.

The Office of the Comptroller delivered to the Public Ministry the results of the audits of 186 communes and municipalities that managed public funds, following instructions from deputies from the 2009-2014 period.

With these reports, the Public Ministry requested the reopening of the investigation. Ábrego filed the appeal with the Court within a week, along with her  CD  co-defendants Mario Miller, Jackson Palma, Héctor Aparicio and Salvador Real; Benicio  Robinson PRD and Crispiano Adames, and the  Molirena deputy of Miguel Fanovich. Later, deputies Noriel Salerno and Vidal García, from CD, also filed amparos.