Fernando Alvarado did not attend hearing over PSP complaint

Gilmar Gutierrez (left) and SECOM’s defense sponsored by Vicente Peralta (right) minutes before the hearing started.

Yesterday at the Electoral Contentious Tribunal (TCE for its Spanish acronym), the oral hearing of proof and trial, was held, in which the head of the Secom, Fernando Alvarado, accused by members of the Partido Sociedad Patriotica (PSP) for having allegedly ordered the transmission of an “offensive” documentary about the presidency of Lucio Gutierrez, did not attend.

Gilmar Gutierrez, chairman of PSP, criticized the absence of Alvarado. “It is unfortunate that the accused, Fernando Alvarado, did not have the slightest courage to step up and take responsibility.”

At the hearing, which lasted two hours, PSP defense, led by Byron Almeida presented a CD with the contents of the documentary as evidence of the complaint, and pointed out the Article 205 of the Code of Democracy, which prohibits since the election call, any advertising for electoral purposes, except those provided by the National Electoral Council (CNE for its Spanish acronym).

On its behalf, the defense of Secom, represented by legal secretary of the presidency, Vicente Peralta, downplayed the report and pointed out that “the nation-wide broadcasts are informative and the Secom did not do more than transmit information published by different media on April 20 and 21, 2005, when Gutierrez fell. ”

The judge has 30 days to issue a ruling.