Although former President Rafael Correa warned about the Metastasis case operation on his networks, this Friday he stated that he “does not defend Wilman Terán.”
Former president Rafael Correa and the attorney general, Diana Salazar.
The former president Rafael Correa warned on social networks, with about 14 hours of anticipation, regarding the operative that the Prosecutor’s Office was preparing General, to arrest those investigated for the Metastasis case. This publication constitutes a criminal offense.
As this is a prior investigation by the Public Ministry, the former president’s action is configured as a “dissemination of restricted circulation information“; typified in numeral 3 of article 180 of the Comprehensive Penal Code (COIP).
This crime is punishable by prison from one to three years.
This, according to the attorney general, Diana Salazar, allowed several people linked to this case of drug trafficking and alleged organized crime to stay safe.
Of the 38 people investigated, 31 were detained in the early hours of December 14, during the operation. The other seven are, at the moment, fugitives from justice. Although, for example, the lawyer for Christian Romero and Daniel Salcedo said that his clients would surrender to the authorities.
However, there are jurists who also speak of a possible crime of obstruction of justice, typified in article 270.1 of the COIP, which states:
A person who, through the use of physical force, threats or intimidation, will be punished with imprisonment of three to five years, or the promise, offer or granting of a benefit, in all types of judicial processes, executes one or more of the following behaviors:
- Prevent the provision of testimony or the provision of evidence;
- Induce a person to bear false testimony;
- Unlawfully interferes in the freedom of action of judges and prosecutors.
“I do not defend Terán,” Correa now says.
After criticism about his comments on networks, regarding the so-called Metastasis case, this Friday, Correa assured that he does not intend to defend the president of the Judiciary, Wilmán Terán, “but rather the institutions and common sense.”
“Why don’t they let him defend himself in freedom? Don’t be fooled: they want to have a majority in the Judiciary Council and annul the competition of judges,” added Correa, sentenced to eight years for the Bribery case and exiled in Belgium.
