The Second High Risk Appeals Chamber has accepted an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. This appeal is in response to the decision of the High Risk Judge D, Juan José Jiménez, who had granted a substitute measure to the former Minister of Communications, José Luis Benito, in the context of the “Libramiento de Chimaltenango” case.
The Chamber maintains that Benito’s flight risk persists and that there is a possibility that he could intervene in the ongoing investigation. For these reasons, it has accepted the arguments of the Public ministry and has reversed the initial decision.
Read also: The mayor of Quetzaltenango, one of the best paid in Guatemala
By virtue of this resolution, Benito must continue in preventive detention until the intermediate stage hearing is held. At that hearing, it will be decided whether or not he will face trial for the case in which he is accused of having been involved in the irregular delivery of contracts to the company in charge of the construction of the Chimaltenango Bypass. These alleged irregularities would have given rise to deficiencies in the work.
Despite the substitute measure, the former minister had not been released, since a decision on his request for benefit in another case is still pending. This involves the investigation of the origin of Q122 million found in a residence in Antigua Guatemala, funds that are associated with the former official. In this case, he also remains in preventive detention.
Regarding this second case, Benito awaits the scheduling of a hearing to determine whether he should face trial.
