Judge orders detention of Cléver Jimenez and Fernando Villavicencio

After more than eight hours of an evaluation and preparatory hearing to trial, Judge Jorge Blum, of the National Court, ordered this morning preventive detention for former Assemblyman Cléver Jimenez and his old adviser Fernando Villavicencio. They are involved in the case that investigates an alleged disclosure of protected documents, which were apparently obtained after hacking the accounts of officials of the Presidency.

The detention comes after Judge Blum called to trial both as alleged perpetrators of the crime of which they are accused.

The Prosecution filed 33 items of evidence to support its request for appeal to the court from Thursday night.

The hearing began at 16:00 yesterday with the analysis of alleged procedural flaws and annulments filed by the defense of the accused. After nearly three hours of arguments from both the investigated and the Attorney General, Galo Chiriboga, the national court decided to declare invalid all proceedings so far and give way to the second part of the process, which was the exposure of the accusatory opinion or acquittal from the Attorney General´s office.