The coordinating prosecutor of the Lava Jato special team, Rafael Vela, said he expects the situation of the supreme prosecutors Tomás Gálvez and Pedro Chávarry to be resolved during the six-month suspension that the National Board of Justice (JNJ) approved for both, but the projection it’s “don’t come back”.
On TV Peru, he said that his working group is expecting that the JNJ that is acting within the post-pandemic context, “Keep that rhythm of work” and can allow that in that half year the legal situation of Gálvez and Chávarry can be resolved.
“Any precautionary suspension is linked to a main process, which is the dismissal of both Mr. Tomás Gálvez and Mr. Pedro Chávarry. We estimate that those six months, which are a legal period, will be planning, respect for due process and that within that time frame, their administrative, disciplinary, and sanctioning processes should be resolved, if applicable. ”he expressed.
“The projection is that they will not return because in fact what we have permanently denounced is that with their active conduct they have always been undermining a value and a fundamental pillar of any investigation, which is respect for the autonomy of prosecutors”he added.
He explained that in the case of both supreme prosecutors there are two directions: the first is criminal complaints, where the Public Ministry directs the investigation and the Judiciary defines their innocence or guilt, and on the other hand the administrative processes that will determine if they are removed from its functions.
“That does not mean that criminal proceedings do not continue. There is also an intervention by Congress, which has to process and authorize so that these criminal investigations of both supreme prosecutors can continue to evolve ”Vela said.
Regarding the case of Wilfredo Pedraza, former lawyer of Nadine Heredia and that he was included in the investigation for the South Peruvian Gas Pipeline case for alleged obstruction of justice, the coordinating prosecutor of the Lava Jato team stated that his case has two aspects.
“A [está] linked to the possible commission of a crime, which is to try to influence witnesses, and another because of the procedural danger related to who could represent, which in this case is an investigation of a criminal organization, which includes the Ms [Nadine] Heredia, who, as is public knowledge, has a close relationship with Mr. Pedraza, not necessarily in the investigation of the Gaseoducto del Sur case, but in the case of the investigation of money laundering from the companies Odebrecht and OAS ”he emphasized.
In this sense, Vela referred that the accusation against Pedraza is “Extremely serious” because I would search “Intervene the testimonies that must be of absolute spontaneity and truthfulness” and “Prepare witnesses to lie or threaten them not to tell the truth”.
“Mr. Pedraza has been summoned, his saying will be heard, but at least, up to what he has publicly stated, he has not denied having met on several occasions with Mr. Merino Tafur”he stressed.
As recalled, the prosecutor Geovana Mori, from the Lava Jato special team, expanded the preparatory investigation for the South Peruvian Gas Pipeline Case and included Wilfredo Pedraza, former attorney for the former president’s wife Ollanta Humala, for alleged obstruction of justice.
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