Correa, called to trial for kidnapping Balda
Ecuadornews:
Theex-president of Ecuador Rafael Correa, who governed the country between 2007and 2017, has been called to trial today for the alleged crime of plagiarism(kidnapping) of the Ecuadorian opposition politician Fernando Balda, a factthat occurred in Colombia in August 2012.
Ecuadorianjudge Daniella Camacho ruled in a session of the hearing held at the NationalCourt of Justice in Quito, where she also called to trial Pablo Romero, RaúlChicaiza and Diana Falcón as alleged perpetrators of the crime of kidnapping toBalda.
However,the case against Correa and Romero is suspended until they are apprehended orvoluntarily surrendered to justice.
The Criminal Chamber of the National Court of Justice hosted the last session of the trial preparatory hearing against four defendants in the case, who had been accused by the Attorney General of the crimes of illicit association and plagiarism to Balda, ex legislator opponent to Correa briefly kidnapped in the Colombian capital.
“Itreally is not a surprise. We expected something like that, “Correa’slawyer, Caupolican Ochoa, told the media at the end of the hearing.
And he complained that “during the last weeks we have witnessed a lack of political pressure on the judge,” an attitude, in his opinion, “evident and public”, not only on the part of “political power but also of the media and social actors “.
After reading the elements of conviction in the case, at least a score for Correa and 25 for Pablo Romero, former leader of the Ecuadorian Intelligence, the magistrate ordered a recess of half an hour before resuming the session and announcing his decision.
In the preparatory phase of the trial in September, the Attorney General’s Office had filed an indictment against the ex -president, the former Secretary of Intelligence Romero and the former agents of the secret services Falcón and Chicaiza.
The two last ones accepted the figure of abbreviated procedure and acknowledged being the material authors of the facts and collaborating with the justice in exchange for a reduction of the sentence.
Both ex agents assured that the orders came directly from the former president through Romero and his testimonies are among the 23 main elements of conviction presented by the Prosecutor’s Office against Correa, which rejects the accusations.
Correa and Romero are abroad, the first in Belgium – where he resides since July 2017 – and the second in Spain.
Correa and Romero were exempted from the crime of illicit association as requested by the Prosecutor’s Office and the private accusation.
The former president, on whom weighs an Ecuadorian request of Interpol’s arrest for breach of precautionary measures, has denounced being the object of a political persecution and accuses the judicial power of his country of lack of independence.
The magistrate asked Interpol for red diffusion against Correa for the purpose of extradition due to his failure to appear in court and failure to comply with the precautionary measure.
For thetime being, the international organization has not officially reported itsresponse to this request.
Correa supporters concentrated in the vicinity of the National Court to express their support for him and former Vice President Jorge Glas, in prison for another crime of corruption.
Minutesbefore the start of the hearing today supporters rebuked Balda defender, FelipeRodríguez, who threw objects and lived moments of tension and struggles. (I)
Source: https://www.larepublica.ec/blog/politica/2018/11/07/correa-llamado-a-juicio-por-secuestro-a-balda/