El Universo Case: Trial suspended

After nearly 12 hours of the hearing of President Rafael Correa’s lawsuit against El Universo newspaper it was suspended this Friday.

In the first instance judge Freire said that the procedure was discontinued and they expected to re-install it on Thursday September 22 at 10:00, to give a responsible sentence, but in the absence of unanimity she said they would report it through a notice.

Correa withdrew his initial demand

At 21:00 (GMT) on Friday September 16, the defense of President Rafael Correa withdrew the appeal in asking $ 80 million. The president accepted the ruling made by judge Juan Paredes wich dictaminted to the managers of  newspaper El Universo the payment of USD 40 million.

On the other hand, deputy judges of the Second Criminal Court in Guayaquil this afternoon rejected the annulment of the hearing against El Univeso newspaper wich was a request made ​​by El Universo newspaper’s lawyers.

Before 15:00, Joffre Campaña, a newspaper’s lawyer, stated that the Second Chamber could not address the issue because the three deputy judges in charge of the hearing were objected.

During his speech, which lasted four hours, Campaña said the trial was completely invalid because the complaint filed by the President Rafael Correa against Emilio Palacio and El Universo was held in private, but the issue that Palacio’s article was referring to, which originated the complaint, was related to the September 30 facts which were a public event.

Xavier Zavala Egas, another attorney for Diario El Universo, argued during his presentation at the hearing that the decision of Judge Juan Paredes is a shame in the international community.