Judge arrested after early release of long-term prisoner

Alternate judge Gerardo Ríos was arrested on  Friday, night October 21, on the orders of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

The arrest followed the investigations after Ríos released detainee José Cossio, held in the Punta Coco maximum security prison, located on Isla del Rey, in the Las Perlas archipelago.

On  Saturday, Ríos will face a hearing before a judge of guarantees to legalize his arrest, present the accusation and request precautionary measures.

On September 14, 2020, Ríos ordered Cossio’s release, despite the fact that he was serving a 74-month prison sentence for drug-related crimes.

The irregularities in Cossio’s release were alerted by officials from the Drug Prosecutor’s Office, who, when reviewing compliance with the sentence imposed on Cossio, detected that he had not fully complied with it.

Ríos was a substitute judge of the First Criminal Cases Liquidator Court.