Judge Suspends Benjamin Cevallos

Judge Santiago Coba

In the midst of political and judicial conflicts in Ecuador, the president of the Judicial Council (CJ), the judge Santiago Coba displaced Benjamin Cevallos from his post yesterday. Judge Coba suspended Cevallos for alleged breach of his duties.

Coba is also the judge that last week overturned the decision of Cevallos who suspended Renato Vasquez and Luis Manosalvas for 90 days, two of the three judges that sentenced coronel Rolando Tapia and other five policemen accused of threatening the Security of the Estate during the police uprising on September 30.

Finally Cevallos said that different political actors are “deliberately delaying the referendum results so that the Judicial Council continues with this process and other trials.” Cevallos justified this measure as a request of the defense presented by Colonel Tapia’s lawyers that complained about the irregular process of the case.  Cevallos added, “This actions are par of a plot to manipulate justice.” (AV)

Source: El Universo Newspaper