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Judge of the National Court of Justice imposed precautionary measures on Fernando Alvarado, investigated for the crime of embezzlement
Posted On 09 Aug 2018
Ecuadornews:
Judge Silvia Sánchez, of the National Court of Justice, accepted the request of the State Attorney General and imposed on Fernando Alvarado Espinel, former Secretary of Communications, precautionary measures such as the prohibition of leaving the country, the periodic presentation (each 15 days) before a competent authority in Guayaquil; and the use of an electronic surveillance device.
At 00:00 this Thursday, the arraignment of charges against Alvarado had begun, for the crime of embezzlement, requested on Wednesday night by the Prosecutor’s Office in Quito.
Around 23:45 this Wednesday the former Secretary of Communication had arrived at the National Court of Justice
Alvarado gave his version on Wednesday in just over two hours, until about 7:00 pm, within a previous investigation related to irregular acts that would have occurred within the Secretariat of Communication (Secom).
AHORA | Por pedido de la Dra. Ruth Palacios, Fiscal General del Estado (S), la Jueza Nacional Silvia Sánchez inicia audiencia de formulación de cargos por presunto peculado en contra de Fernando A., exsecretario Nacional de Comunicación. pic.twitter.com/6H5TRbKbz6
— Fiscalía Ecuador (@FiscaliaEcuador) 9 de agosto de 2018
After the draw held on Wednesday night, inside the National Court of Justice, Judge Silvia Sánchez was the one in charge of carrying out the diligence.
The request of the Office of the Prosecutor came because apparently in the process of preliminary investigation, elements of conviction that would reveal a possible crime of embezzlement of the ex-strong man of communications in the government of Rafael Correa were collected. The hearing was given in the National Court of Justice, due to the jurisdiction of the National Court that has the former Minister Alvarado.
Deputy Attorney General Ruth Palacios said at the hearing that against Alvarado there is a Comptroller’s report with evidence of criminal responsibility in which it is stated that the ex officio hour did not observe norms of the Constitution and the Public Service Law and gave way to hiring of companies that did not meet the requirements. The report would say that this fact caused the Ecuadorian State a loss of more than $ 250,000.
The analysis carried out by the Comptroller’s Office refers to the management performed by Alvarado as head of the Secom and would cover the period from June 1, 2013 to May 24, 2017.
Once the formulation of charges has been made by the Office of the Prosecutor, it will be necessary to wait if preventive detention or some other alternative precautionary measure is requested.
The former Secretary of Communication of the government of Rafael Correa had arrived around 16:40 this Wednesday to the General Prosecutor’s Office in Quito to attend the fiscal call in relation to his management as a public official.
Alvarado, who was in Manta, traveled accompanied by the public force, because he did not attend two calls. This happened because the authority can ask for his retention to attend a third call for investigative purposes. This refers to the prior investigation process for the alleged crime of embezzlement related to a Comptroller’s report on his management of the Secom.
Fernando Alvarado llegó a la FGE en un auto policial del GOE. Ingresó a la Fiscalía sin dar declaraciones a la prensa y escoltado por varios agentes policiales. @eluniversocom pic.twitter.com/J1qTEO1wIg
— Santiago Molina (@santiagomolinao) 8 de agosto de 2018
On August 6, the former official had requested the Office of the Prosecutor, through an official letter, to set a date for his declaration this week -between August 6 and 10-, since he will only be in the country in these days, because he is working in Ghana (Africa) until the end of the year.
. #FernandoAlvarado llega escoltado por la @PoliciaEcuador , a rendir versión en @FiscaliaEcuador dentro del caso de supuesto peculado por gastos en la #SECOM pic.twitter.com/20LfQCL22D
— Estuardo Vera (@fotoestuardo) 8 de agosto de 2018
Fernando Alvarado has also been required by other court cases: money laundering, illicit enrichment and the kidnapping of Fernando Balda, in which he gave his version by videoconference from Nigeria, on July 18th to the Attorney General (e) Paúl Pérez as part of a fiscal instruction.
On that occasion, from the Ecuadorian consulate in that African country near Ghana, in a 15-minute speech, he denied knowing who provided former President Rafael Correa with the national security information he published on Saturday. (I)
