The Ombudsman’s Office reassigned Ramírez as lawyer for the mayor of Ibagué after the resignation of Javier Enrique Hurtado, who yesterday acted for the last time as his trusted defender in a hearing that lasted for twelve hours.
The lawyer Rubén Darío Ramírez was reassigned by the Ombudsman’s Office as the public defender of Mayor Andrés Fabián Hurtado in the criminal proceeding against him for the so-called ‘illegal pickets’ that took place at the Perales airport in April 2014.
At the beginning of August, Ramírez served as the president’s lawyer after the resignation of Humberto Escobar, who until then had been exercising this defense. However, his representation in the process was short and he barely participated in a hearing, as Hurtado hired a new trusted lawyer (Javier Hurtado).
The only time Ramírez defended the mayor was on August 5. That day, due to his sudden appointment, he declared before the Second Criminal Circuit Judge that he had not had enough time to become aware of the process, but the hearing was still developed with the testimonies of two former airport guards.
The person in charge of confirming the reassignment of the lawyer was the prosecutor in the case, who said that she personally communicated with the head of the Defensoría in Tolima, Gaby Gómez, to suggest the name of Ramírez so that she could assume the defense of the president again.
Ramírez will return to this process after attorney Javier Hurtado resigned from the power that the mayor gave him because he and his family received death threats, which were reported to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Long interrogations
The last hearing of the lawyer Hurtado as defender of Mayor Andrés Fabián Hurtado in the case of the so-called illegal piques was not different from the previous ones: when questioning the witnesses, he repeated questions and touched on matters that have nothing to do with the facts. investigated, this was considered by various parts of the process.
Both the prosecutor in the case, the judicial attorney and the representative of victims of Civil Aeronautics reproached, as they have done on other occasions, that the lawyer Hurtado lengthened the rendering of testimony with interrogations that, in their opinion, exceeded the facts legally relevant.
“A person using the interrogation technique is not supposed to ask as many repetitive questions as has been done here and in past interventions. If we are going to continue with this trend, we are not going to finish today and at least ten more sessions would be enough and I think that is not the point, ”said Marco Ricardo Mariño, representative of victims of the Aerocivil.
Faced with the protest, the defender assured that his interest is not more than that the Second Criminal Circuit Judge has knowledge of the facts. “This is a harassment of the defense (…), Dr. Mariño only listens to his voice to call or censure the defense of delaying acts. For God’s sake, let’s respect each other’s roles. This is absurd, “he said.
The lawyer said that he is willing to suggest to Mayor Hurtado Barrera that he waive the prescription of the criminal action of the crime of embezzlement by use, since he is sure of his innocence, but he asked that the dynamics of the process advance and he can exercise the defense.
Key witness for the defense
In what could be considered the longest session since the process began, with twelve hours of hearing, two people gave testimony: William Serrato (photo), Aerocivil Air Traffic Controller, and Colonel Fredy Bonilla, Security Inspector Air of the same entity.
The first of them, who was described by lawyer Hurtado as the strongest and most fundamental witness of his defense strategy, said that vehicles that have nothing to do with supporting airport security, such as ambulances and transport cars, can enter the airport. values, as long as your income is coordinated.
Serrato explained that private vehicles can enter the facilities during the airport’s operating hours if the administrator approves it, pays an entrance ticket, provides the license plate number and is respectively escorted by the platform official.
He even indicated that an administrator can authorize entry outside normal hours if he coordinates with the authorities and airport security. He also affirmed that an event such as the Air Festival, that the activity within which the piques were developed -according to the defense-, requires coordination of a month in advance that is approved by the Regional Directorate of Cundinamarca de la Aerocivil .
He also affirmed that the administrator’s actions must adhere to the manuals imposed by the regulations.
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Editorial Ibagué.
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