He judge from National Court of Justice, Javier de la Cadenadecided to accept the request of the State Attorney General’s Office and has issued preventive detention against ten of the twelve defendants captured in the early hours of Monday, March 4, for alleged organized crime, among them the former legislator of the Social Christian Party, Pablo Muentes.
His wife, Mónica Alvarado Bardi, has been banned from leaving the country and ordered to appear periodically before the judge. Saúl Mero Zambrano, administrative official of the Judiciary Council in Guayaquil, has received the same measure.
Prosecutor Diana Salazar accused Muentes of leading a criminal structure that influenced the decisions of the judges of the Court of Justice of Guayas.
Among those accused with a preventive detention order is also the former president of the Court of Justice of Guayaquil, Fabiola Gallardo Ramia. In addition to the judges of the same court: Johan Marfetan Medina, Henry Taylor Teran, Alberto Lino Tumbaco, Guillermo Valarezo Cuello y Nelson Ponce Murillo.
Judge Reinaldo Cevallos Cercado He has house arrest because he is 71 years old. She must wear an electronic shackle.
A cousin of Muentes, Fausto Alarcón Gómez, considered by the Prosecutor’s Office as a “front man” of the former legislator, is also in preventive detention. Like Ruth Solano Padillaattorney for the Army Corps of Engineers, who is accused of having remodeled the office of the former president of the Court, Fabiola Gallardo, in exchange for a favorable judicial resolution.
Muentes wanted to allege depression
After hearing the arguments of the former assemblyman’s defense, the judge dismissed the arguments of the Muentes defensewhat presented medical certificates stating that he exasambleist socialcristiano suffers from depressive disorder, anxiety and high blood pressure. De la Cadena pointed out that these are not included in the special cases contemplated by the Penal Code, since it is not a terminal illness. «There is a procedural risk. The prison measure is ideal,” he said.
The procedure began around 9:00 p.m. on March 4, 2024 and lasted until early Tuesday morning, when it was suspended to be resumed after 10 hours, after 6:00 p.m.
The Purge Case began to be investigated on February 20, following the exploitation of the content of the cell phone of Mayra Salazar, a public relations officer from the Court of Justice of Guayas, captured and prosecuted for the Metastasis Case. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Salazar was a romantic partner of drug trafficker Leandro Norero, and helped him coordinate judicial resolutions.
The judge in the case established a tax investigation period of 90 days.
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