HIgh profile corruption cases head to impunity judge

The controversial fifteenth criminal court judge, Leslie Loaiza, renowned for his impunity rulings in high profile cases could be in charge of a trial for alleged embezzlement in the construction of the Brazil corridor, section II, by the Spanish construction company FCC.

This would be the result of a petition filed by the defense of the former Minister of Public Works Francisco Suárez filed a petition so that said a case  – currently under the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Criminal Court – be accumulated in the office of Loaiza, who handles another process linked to FCC, over the extension of the Vía Cincuentenario.

Judicial sources confirmed to La Prensa that the request was submitted last week and that Loaiza must decide if both files are accumulated in a single process.

However, the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office filed a notice of opposition against the petition as both files are at different procedural stages  and their accumulation would affect the processing of both.

The Public Ministry says that in the case of the Vía Cincuentenario, Loaiza set a preliminary hearing date, while the process of the Vía Brazil corridor, section II, is still in the investigation phase and the prosecution is awaiting judicial assistance from Switzerland, Costa Rica and the Netherlands. The case was declared complex on December 6 and the prosecution has one more year to conclude the investigations.

Former minister Suarez is charged in both cases, in which the Comptroller said there were cost overruns. According to the Comptroller the initial cost of the project was $122 million and it ended up costing $136.7 million.

In the meantime, the file on the alleged embezzlement in the construction of the Vía Brazil corridor, section II, is under investigation and the resources inherent in this process are resolved by the Eleventh Criminal Court, in charge of Judge Nixela Aizpurúa.

In addition, the prosecution charged 14 people alleged embezzlement, and one for money laundering.

Among the defendants is the former Chief of Contract Administration of the MOP Jorge Churro Ruiz

Frustration
Movin leader Annette Planells sai: “How can citizens trust in justice when, despite 18 criminal courts, the vast majority of high profile cases mysteriously fell into Judge Leslie Loaiza’s court. His controversial filings seem to justify impunity in sometimes incomprehensible technicalities, ignoring confessions, Comptroller’s audits or expert opinions. “Even criticizing civil society for questioning it. The saddest thing of all is that there is no Integrity and Transparency Court to complain about the refusal of the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice to implement the Judicial Career. ”

Among the decisions of Loaiza, the recent dismissal of the accused in the case of the alleged cost overrun in the purchase of dehydrated food through the extinct National Assistance Program (PAN) stands out.

Likewise, the 16 defendants were definitively dismissed for alleged embezzlement in the purchase of backpacks through the (PAN; and declared void the inquiries of four former state ministers for the acquisition of grain, also through the PAN.

In April 2017, he revoked the order to take inquiries from the businessman Fotis Lymberópulos issued by the Second Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, as part of the process of  alleged overpricing in the rental of helicopters through the PAN

Last August, the ex- CD candidate deputy Heriberto Vega and the former PAN director Giacomo Taburrelli were dismissed for alleged embezzlement related to the construction of works in Herrera.