Comptroller says Assange had a direct line with Rafael Correa

Ecuadornews:

The agency detected anomalies in the process that granted the Ecuadorian nationality. The law requires the petitioner to have at least five years of residence in the country.

He also questions his asylum and the expenses of his stay in London. More revealing data was found by the Comptroller in the process of naturalization and the permanence of the former WikiLeaks director, Julian Assange, at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

In the first preliminary report it was found that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comply with the mandatory procedures for issuing naturalization. Assange requested this diplomatic benefit in September 2017, when he had served more than five years as an asylee at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Among the most important observations are: that the Organic Law of Human Mobility was not complied with. In addition, there were inconsistencies such as the Australian’s passport and his signature did not match the rubric he issued at public events.

He also presented a document as a refugee, but his condition was asylum. Similarly, it was questioned that the questionnaire for the naturalization of Assange was different from the rest of the applicants.

According to the Comptroller’s Office, there are no records of payments for the naturalization process. This has a cost of $ 50 for the application and $ 750 for consular stamps.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the documents sent to the Comptroller General’s Office, maintained that this naturalization was unprecedented because Assange’s life and rights were at risk.

Faced with this urgency, they protected themselves in international legislation for the process. Another point questioned by the Comptroller’s auditors was their coexistence in the Embassy.

The second report of the agency argued that Ecuador spent $ 795,372 between January 2012 and September 2018. In this figure, the items destined for legal consultancies, communications consultancies and expenses of the diplomatic headquarters stand out.

For example, payment for internet services increased since your arrival. According to the Comptroller’s Office, Assange had a direct line of communication with the Presidency of Ecuador, during the government of Rafael Correa.

In addition, the auditors discovered an alleged breach of cleaning, security, visits and habitability protocols. Assange’s team was composed of 17 people who entered and left the Embassy without restriction, held parties and spent the night in the national headquarters. Assange occupied the best facilities.

Four rooms were for their use and it was intended that Ecuador rent another apartment. The report emphasizes that the conflicts with the Ecuadorian officials were recurrent due to their “discourtesy, bad education and arrogance”.

They even asked for life insurance because of the hacker’s poor hygiene. This report is from the time when Juan Falconí was ambassador in London. He attended the Comptroller’s Office on Monday, May 20 and said that the Australian, with “belligerent attitude”, refused to sign a protocol of coexistence. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/politica/3/contraloria-julianassange-rafaelcorrea