Former agent prosecuted for case Balda was threatened in jail

Ecuadornews:

Former agent Diana F., one of the four people prosecuted for the kidnapping of politician Fernando Balda, was threatened by another prisoner in the women’s prison in southern Quito, where she is being held.

The incident took place around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 27, according to the afternoon of this Wednesday, October 3, the secretary of the policy and minister in charge of Justice, Paul Granda. In view of this situation, he indicated that after the notification to the State Attorney General’s Office, the respective security measures have been arranged for Diana F., who is also a protected witness in the Balda case.

The measures have been extended for the other protected witness Raúl Ch., He said. “This fact must be investigated,” Granda said, noting that a special strategy is being applied to provide all guarantees to protected witnesses. The announcement was made by the Secretary of State, at the press conference at the Government Palace, where he exhibited videos and photographs of the visit made by Assemblywoman Sofía Espín and the lawyer of former President Correa, Yadira Cadena to Diana Falcón.

In detail, Granda explained how the incident that started at 08:30, when they arrive and enter the Espín y Cadena detention center, occurred, to immediately speak with judicial employees and with the psychologist. According to the images, after making the arrangements, at 08:42 she is granted authorization to meet with Diana F., the lawyer Cadena, who presents her ID and is registered, while the legislator, kept at a prudent distance.

However, at the time that Diana F. leaves, around 08:48, Espín and Cadena come together again and start talking with the inmate until 09:14. Throughout the video, it is verified that the Assemblywoman does not register or deliver any document to obtain an authorization pass, but the staff is found to be careless.

Exagente procesada por caso #Balda fue amenazada en la cárcel►https://t.co/LaFbOacHvo#ATENCIÓN | Mira las grabaciones del ingreso de la asambleísta Sofía Espín a la cárcel de mujeres 🎥 pic.twitter.com/f36EzhyFqV

— El Telégrafo Ecuador (@el_telegrafo) October 3, 2018

Granda said that because of this fact there are three judicial servants who face administrative actions and that the denunciation about the illegal act of the Assemblywoman has already been delivered to the Prosecutor’s Office. According to Granda, Espín “flouted all the controls” to enter the women’s prison in Quito and talk with the witness. “She failed to comply with the protocols in the chain of control and security,” he said.

For this reason, she maintained that “the Assemblywoman will have to answer to the corresponding organizations why she made that visit, it will be the Prosecutor who will take the due process on her income, explain to the country and the justice of what she spoke with the protected witness,”. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/casobalda-carcel-espin