Judge asks authorization to the Assembly to prosecute former vice president María Alejandra Vicuña

Ecuadornews:

Five days after the Prosecutor’s Office asked the National Court of Justice to set a time and date for the hearing to formulate charges against formervice-president María Alejandra Vicuña, for the crime of concussion, on Monday, Judge Ivan Saquicela Rodas asked the National Assembly the authorization for criminal prosecution.

Vicuña was accused by her ex-adviser Ángel Sabgay of allegedly demanding money every month, in exchange for keeping him in office when she was an assembly member between 2012 and 2014.

In its resolution, Saquicela maintains that before initiating a criminal action against Vicuña it is essential to comply with the requirement determined in Article 128 of the Constitution. “For it constitutes a sine qua non requirement to initiate criminal proceedings against anyone who, in the exercise of their function as an assembly member, could be prosecuted criminally in matters that are related to the exercise of their functions…” the judge argues.

Saquicela notes that this is the fourth time he has made this type of request to the National Assembly, “as a requirement of procedure for the initiation of criminal proceedings …”.

The request for the lifting of parliamentary immunity is addressed to Elizabeth Cabezas, president of the Legislative.

María Alejandra Vicuña resigned from the Vice Presidency of the Republic to defend herself against the accusations. (I)

Source: https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2018/12/17/nota/7103367/piden-asamblea-libre-juicio