Lawyers lay criminal charges against former police chief

With the Government hoping that the withdrawal of the “irrevocable “resignation of Security Minister, Raoul Mulino would calm the crisis that has involved the police and the cabinet, a lawyer’s Union has re-ignited the controversy.

The Union of Lawyers (MAG) has  brought criminal charges against the former director of the National Police and current executive secretary of the National Security Council, Gustavo Perez.

The complaint, signed by lawyer Rogelio Cruz, in his capacity as president and legal representative of MAG, is for the offenses of "abuse of authority and violation of the duties of public servants incurred as Director General of the National Police" .

"We call for an investigation and punishment of  the accused, and without prejudice to immediately suspend him from holding public office. ” The complaint was filed  with the General Secretariat of the Attorney General's Office, Thursday  March 15

Among the 12 events on which the MAG bases its complaint are that on February 28  the Cabinet Council authorized the Minister of Public Security to submit to the National Assembly a draft law which created the Justice Discipline Administration for the National Police, the National Air Service, the State Border Service and other Public Security Services under the Ministry of Public Security. The project had been discussed within the security services for 20 months but before Minister Jose Raul Mulino presented the project  to the Assembly the director of the National Police sent the deputy director of the Police and another of his emissaries to threaten the minister with a coup if the project was presented and approved.

According to the complaint, Minister Mulino sent a note to Minister of the Presidency, Demetrio Papadimitriu, which repudiated the attitude of the police chief, after which the President, Ricardo Martinelli, said through a statement that the project would not be presented to the Assembly.

Simultaneously, says the complaint, Perez said publicly, among other things, that he had spoken with Mulino and this project would not, qualify as  a political demonstration. “No member of the police can make individually or collectively, political statements without being dismissed and punished criminally,” says the complaint.

"The constitutional contempt provided in the existing constitution …  is punishable by immediate dismissal for any  member of the National Police or other police service who violates this rule. ”

The MAG believed that Perez acted with malice, "knowing that his act is vitiated by a serious disciplinary offense and an offense under the criminal law in force."