Ayu Prado wins close vote to head Supreme Court

IN FOUR YEARS Jose Ayu Prado rose from prosecutor to Attorney General, to Supreme Court Judge and finally to President of the Court.

He got the position on Thursday, January 2 in a close vote from the full  Court,  replacing Alejandro Moncada Luna.

Ayu Prado scored five votes, while his colleague Victor Benavides, who had also been nominated for the position, winning four. There were three rounds of voting

To be president of the Supreme Court required a simple majority, five of the nine votes of the judges. The candidate must be nominated by a colleague.
Prior to the vote, reports La Prensa, members of civil society organizations protested peacefully on the steps of the Court. They complained about the performance of outgoing President Moncada Luna, criticized over several decisions. Lawyers’ and civil groups have called for his ousting.
Ayu Prado, joined the Public Ministry as chief clerk in 1984. On December 31, 2009, he was put in charge of the newly created Special Prosecutor against Transnational Organized Crime by the then Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez.
Prior to that appointment, Ayu Prado was director of the Judicial Technical Police from June 2007 until April 2008, when he became chief during the transition from the institution to the current Directorate of Judicial Investigation.
In this last position he was twice extended in office until December 31, 2009, when he concluded his time as head of the DIJ.
On December 27, 2010, President Ricardo Martinelli appointed him head of the Public Ministry (Attorney General) replacing Giuseppe Bonissi.
He was chosen as a Supreme Court judge by Martinelli, and his appointment was ratified December, 2012.