No-show lawyers nix high profile hearing

The non-appearance of the lawyers of the majority of the 51 defendants forced Judge Baloisa Márquez to suspend the preliminary hearing of the Blue Apple case at the Supreme Court of Justice, so the hearing will be held on August 5.

The prosecutor Aurelio Vásquez, said that the non-appearance of the lawyers is something serious in an emblematic case where there is a huge amount of money that was diluted through bribes from businessmen who bid with the State and who had to pay some officials.

In the case, the prosecution has charged 51 people with the crimes of money laundering, corruption of public servants, illicit association to commit a crime, and falsification of documents.

There are several prominent figures among the defendants including the sons and wife of former president Ricardo Martinelli who have been in a Guatemala jail for nine months awaiting extradition to the United States.

Vásquez indicated that in one of the basket accounts there are $40 million, but the figure is also higher because there are more basket accounts. The State recovered $32 million.

There are seven negotiated agreements and others in the pipeline.

Previously, Ramón Ricardo Arias, former president of Transparency International, had warned the public not to get impatient or become very passionate about high-profile corruption cases, because with appeals, delays,  lost volumes lost, judges that leave on vacation among other excuses, it will be at least two to three years before the case is concluded.