Court nixes  ex-minister's appeal

The  Supreme Court (CSJ)  has confirmed a decision of the First Superior Court, which denied an appeal amparo of constitutional guarantees to the former Minister of Public Works (MOP) Federico Suárez.

With the appeal, the former minister attacked a decision of the Fifteenth Criminal Court to give an extension to the  Public Prosecutor to finish the investigation for embezzlement in the extension of the highway  Arraijan-La Chorrera.

The decision of the plenary of the CSJ not to grant the amparo to Suarez was reflected in a ruling dated March 11.  The plenary supported the criteria of the First Superior Court in concluding that the decision of the court to grant the extension was adjusted to law.

As it was said, the amparo attacked a decision of Judge Leslie Loaiza, who in May 2016 granted a four-month extension to the Anti-Corruption Discharge Prosecutor’s Office to continue investigating the case.

After that extension, the prosecutor Adecio Mojica requested a new deadline, which was also granted by the judge.

In September 2018, Mojica issued his fiscal hearing of the process, in which he requested the court to open criminal cases against to 11 people, including Suárez and his successor in the MOP portfolio, Jaime Ford.

The court has not yet set the date of the preliminary hearing.

An audit report from the Office of the Comptroller General found dollars the possible patrimonial damage of $7.9 million in the execution of the work, by the company Transcaribe Trading (TCT), whose representatives, David and Daniel Ochy are included in the prosecutor’s request to be called to trial.

Daniel Ochy is in custody and his brother has not been seen.

Suarez and Ford were arrested but later  allowed  bail

Suárez has been detained since October of last year, for another case related to alleged overpricing in the project to preserve the historical heritage of Casco Viejo, which was executed by Odebrecht the Brazilian construction company.