Citizens Alliance calls for commission to probe Security Council

The Citizens Alliance for Justice has called for the formation of an ” independent commission” investigate the actions of the National Security Council (CSN)and the hiring of lawyers with links to President Varela attorneys to prepare complaints filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding alleged acts of corruption.

The move follows a series of articles in La Estrella, exposing what seems to be evidence backing allegations within the Ricardo Martinelli inner circle of political persecution.

“These indications that have been disclosed in the last week are very strong, but there has not been enough sustained information to tell us that the actions  were made with the knowledge of the anti-corruption prosecutors, that they influenced the investigations or the decisions of the judges, or that they were pressured to make their decisions, “the Alliance said in a press release on Tuesday, October 9.

The Alliance considers that it is “understandable” that the State institutions need advice in the preparation of the complaints presented to the corresponding authorities and that the CSN, the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF) and other entities have to “collaborate” with that effort. Therefore, the information on the hiring of private lawyers by state institutions, and the participation of other instances of State security in the phase prior to the start of a criminal investigation is not questionable, from our point of view”, said the statement.

However, the Alliance criticized the Ministry of the Presidency for hiring a firm linked to President Juan Carlos Varela as an advisor to the State institutions in the preparation of complaints and complaints filed with the Public Prosecutor, “although It was not illegal, it could increase the perception of selectivity of justice. “

In La Estrella, Rogelio Saltarín is identified as the lawyer who allegedly “armed” the files of the Attorney General’s Office in high-profile cases.

The organization questioned – as mentioned in La Estrella’s publications – the presence of protected witnesses who, according to anonymous sources, “were prepared by the Security Council.” The Alliance indicates that, “according to the information we know, through the monitoring we give to the media, since 2015 the figure of protected witnesses has not been used and only witnesses were protected in the case of grains and in the case bags of food, before the arrival of the current attorney, but in the end they were not important pieces in the investigations “. In that sense, it adds that 90% of the investigations of the high profile cases were initiated ex officio.

“Worrying” is the alleged existence of a group of lawyers called “the box office” that, according to La Estrella, “was dedicated to negotiating penalties in exchange for cooperation with justice.”

The Alliance recalled that it opposed the appointment of Kenia Porcell, “a former staff member of the National Security Council,” as attorney general. “The Alliance was one of the few voices that questioned the appointment,” said the statement.