In the Odebrecht case, two judges are denounced for alleged failures in the process

Ecuadornews:

The defendants’ defense alleges procedural violations, abuse of authority and of the law, for which they will go to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary. Because of procedural overtones, abuse of authority and of the law, Jorge Luis Ortega, a lawyer for one of those prosecuted for alleged money laundering in the Odebrecht corruption case, announced that he will file a complaint with the Judiciary and, if applicable, a complaint in the Office of the Prosecutor.

The defendants will be the judges of Criminal Guarantees, Paola Campaña and Ximena Rodríguez, who have known this cause. The legal action could be extended to the prosecutor Ivonne Proaño, he warned.

The announcement was made on Friday, after Judge Rodríguez did not install the trial evaluation and preparatory hearing that was scheduled for 09:00 in the North Judicial Complex of Quito, in this case related to Odebrecht.

The cause was that he was in another hearing. For the lawyer, the reason is another. “What happens is that at 10:30 a hearing was also convened to discuss the application for a challenge that was filed against Campaña, who was the first judge to hear this case and who committed procedural violations.”

In his opinion, what happens is that there would be agreement and commitment, that Rodriguez does not start the trial preparatory hearing, but leave it for the Campaña magistrate to resume it. This he took for granted, because he assures that the recusal will be denied. “It is already too much, this is intolerant to see how the right is abused,” said Ortega, who said that “we are still playing with the intelligence of the most vulnerable subjects who are the accused.”

As planned, at 10:30 am on Friday, the hearing to challenge Judge Campaña was held. In this diligence, after listening to the parties, the judge of this case, María Elena Lara, suspended the proceeding because an appeal was made in fact.

According to Marcelo Ron, lawyer of another of the defendants in the case of Money Laundering, the judge was challenged for not complying with the provisions of articles 592 and 593 of the Comprehensive Criminal Code on the terms for the tax investigation.

Last January, the Prosecutor’s Office filed charges of alleged money laundering, in the case of corruption of Odebrecht against: Édgar A., Elvira I., José Luis A., Miriam C. and Juan B. According to the investigation, Odebrecht transferred some $ 40 million to an offshore company linked to Arias. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/casoodebrecht-denuncia-juezas