New evidence in suspended judge investigation
A COSTA RICAN businessman, whose name was not released, allegedly wrote a check for just over $168,000 to suspended Supreme Court Judge Alejandro Moncada Luna, which went towards one of the apartments he bought in Coco del Mar, for $1.7 million
This is part of the evidence found by National Assembly Deputy acting as prosecutor Pedro Miguel González, as part of the investigation conducted by a National Assembly committee into Moncada Luna for corruption, misrepresentation, unjust enrichment and money laundering reports La Prensa.
Sources close to the investigation explained that supposedly the payment was received by Moncada Luna when he served as president of the Supreme Court (CSJ) in 2012-2013.
Coincidentally, at that period, the Tico employer won contracts to build new regional headquarters of the judiciary.
A sub- committee of guarantees of the Credentials Committee of the Assembly has been investigating charges against Moncada Since October 20, and will set a deadline of two months for Gonzalez to advance the investigation.
The sources explained interviews have been carried out with national and foreign persons e who allegedly changed and turned checks payable to the suspended judge
So far, the collected evidences indicates not only unjustified enrichment, but that it is derived from the functions of a judge of the Supreme Court exerted Moncada Luna, said the sources.
The researchers also found that Moncada Luna received money from the account of a corporation.
One of arguementsof the legal defense of Moncada Luna indicates that he was paid $400,000 for a case in which he acted as a trial lawyer, before becoming a magistrate in 2010.
However, that money was paid in four instalments.. “That test does not alter the unjustified enrichment,” the sources said.
Gonzalez will also likely take an interview, (not an affidavit), with the employer Felipe Pipo Virzi. The date of this interview has not yet been set prosecutor González.
The legal defense of Moncada Luna called Gonzalez November 11 when hetook an affidavitfrom Virzi.
However, the sources explained that the adversarial criminal justice system González deputy prosecutor cannot take an affidavit from Virzi, but do an interview, which is a different method of gathering evidence.
Moncada Luna said that his “Uncle Pipo” loaned him $ 700,000 interest free to pay for one of the two apartments he bought in Coco del Mar, San Francisco, valued at $ 1.7 million.
Prior to this, on February 9, 2011, Moncada Luna guarantees granted an injunction in favor of Universal Bank in a dispute between Nacional, SA Petroleum, over a farm in David, Chiriqui. Virzi is one of the main shareholders of Universal Bank.
The investigation period ends December 20th. Deputy González may then request an arraignment hearing requesting a trial.
If there is merit for Moncada Luna go to trial, the Judges of Guarantees, Katleen Levy, Ana Matilde Gomez and Zulay Rodríguez must send the process to the Credentials Committee. The committee would conduct a hearing for the trial.
For Moncada Luna to go to trial a majority vote of the nine members of the Credentials Committee is required.
The trial would be made before the plenary of the National Assembly and the vote of two thirds of all members is required for there to be a conviction.New evidence in suspended judge investigation
A Costa Rican businessman, whose name was not released, allegedly wrote a check for just over $168,000 to suspended Supreme Court Judge Alejandro Moncada Luna, which went towards one of the apartments he bought in Coco del Mar, for $1.7 million
This is part of the evidence found by National Assembly Deputy acting as prosecutor Pedro Miguel González, as part of the investigation conducted by a National Assembly committee into Moncada Luna for corruption, misrepresentation, unjust enrichment and money laundering reports La Prensa.
Sources close to the investigation explained that supposedly the payment was received by Moncada Luna when he served as president of the Supreme Court (CSJ) in 2012-2013.
Coincidentally, at that period, the Tico employer won contracts to build new regional headquarters of the judiciary.
A sub- committee of guarantees of the Credentials Committee of the Assembly has been investigating charges against Moncada Since October 20, and will set a deadline of two months for Gonzalez to advance the investigation.
The sources explained interviews have been carried out with national and foreign persons e who allegedly changed and turned checks payable to the suspended judge
So far, the collected evidences indicates not only unjustified enrichment, but that it is derived from the functions of a judge of the Supreme Court exerted Moncada Luna, said the sources.
The researchers also found that Moncada Luna received money from the account of a corporation.
One of the evidence adduced by the legal defense of Moncada Luna indicates that he was paid $400,000 for a case in which he acted as a trial lawyer, before becoming a magistrate in 2010.
However, that money was paid in four letters. “That test does not alter the unjustified enrichment,” the sources said.
Gonzalez will also likely take an interview, (not an affidavit), with the employer Felipe Pipo Virzi. The date of this interview has not yet been set prosecutor González.
The legal defense of Moncada Luna called Gonzalez November 11 when hetook an affidavitfrom Virzi.
However, the sources explained that the adversarial criminal justice system González deputy prosecutor cannot take an affidavit from Virzi, but do an interview, which is a different method of gathering evidence.
Moncada Luna said that his “Uncle Pipo” loaned him $ 700,000 interest free to pay for one of the two apartments he bought in Coco del Mar, San Francisco, valued at $ 1.7 million.
Prior to this, on February 9, 2011, Moncada Luna guarantees granted an injunction in favor of Universal Bank in a dispute between Nacional, SA Petroleum, over a farm in David, Chiriqui. Virzi is one of the main shareholders of Universal Bank.
The investigation period ends December 20th. Deputy González may then request an arraignment hearing requesting a trial.
If there is merit for Moncada Luna go to trial, the Judges of Guarantees, Katleen Levy, Ana Matilde Gomez and Zulay Rodríguez must send the process to the Credentials Committee. The committee would conduct a hearing for the trial.
For Moncada Luna to go to trial a majority vote of the nine members of the Credentials Committee is required.
The trial would be made before the plenary of the National Assembly and the vote of two thirds of all members is required for there to be a conviction.
