Jorge Montenegro, City of David Representative, Will Remain in Provisional Detention

Jorge Montenegro Vallarino, representative of David Cabecera, will remain in custody, after the Court of Appeals of the Third Judicial District decided to maintain the measure, considering that there are no medico-legal reports that justify a change in the precautionary measure.  Montenegro is being held on charges of aggravated embezzlement of more than $4.4 million from the community board.  The Court determined that there was no legal medical report that formally accredited the representative’s health conditions, and therefore considered it inappropriate to modify the precautionary measure imposed in the first instance. 

Montenegro Vallarino is under investigation for the alleged crime of aggravated embezzlement to the detriment of the State, amounting to $4.4 million. During his detention, the representative has been transferred twice from the David Public Prison to the Rafael Hernández Regional Hospital after experiencing respiratory and blood pressure problems, as stated during the hearing. The defense had requested a change to the pretrial detention order on humanitarian grounds, arguing that under house arrest the defendant could face trial and continue his medical treatment adequately. However, the judges concluded that the documentation presented did not justify a modification of the order. 

In the same case, Giovanni Estrada pictured above, treasurer of the David town council, was also charged with aggravated embezzlement. However, the court placed him under house arrest while the six-month investigation period established by the judicial authorities takes place.  A judge overseeing preliminary hearings ordered house arrest for Giovanni Estrada, former treasurer of the David Cabecera Community Board, after formally charging him with the alleged crime of aggravated embezzlement to the detriment of the State.  The decision was made after a hearing held on the evening of Friday, December 27, in which the judge also declared the arrest of the former official legal.  

Estrada voluntarily appeared before the authorities of the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) in the city of David.  During the hearing, Estrada’s defense asserted that the funds managed during his tenure were used in accordance with established procedures and regulations, stating that there were no irregularities in the handling of public resources.  The Public Prosecutor’s Office appealed the precautionary measure imposed, and a new hearing was scheduled for January 5, at which time the judicial decision will be reviewed.  The case remains in the investigation stage and will continue its legal course in accordance with the provisions of the Accusatory Criminal System.