The Attorney General’s Office of the Republic requested this Thursday, from the 6th Sentencing Court of San Salvador, to admit evidentiary documents against former FMLN officials accused of illicit enrichment and money laundering.
“During this special hearing, the 6th Sentencing Court of this capital is requested to add documentary, expert and testimonial evidence to the process” against the former president of the Republic, Salvador Sánchez Cerén, José Manuel Melgar, Gerson Martínez, Lina Pohl, Belarmino López and Calixto Mejía, detailed the FGR. The latter enjoys alternative measures to provisional detention, and is the only one found in the country; the others identified have been considered “fugitives.”
The hearing taking place this day had already been suspended on April 27 by the Sixth Sentencing Judge, due to the failure of the defendants’ lawyers to appear. Some said that they had to attend to other processes and others justified themselves by being outside the country.
In today’s hearing, the FGR asks to admit a series of documents from the financial and banking status of Sánchez Cerén and his former private secretary, Manuel Melgar. According to the investigations, those identified received money from the secret allocation of the State of the Presidential House during the five-year term of the former president, Mauricio Funes.
Salvador Sánchez Cerén is charged with $530,000; to Gerson Martínez $290,000; to Calixto Mejía $208,000; to Lina Pohl $177,000 and the amount for Manuel Melgar is not detailed.
In that same case, Violeta Menjívar, Erlinda Hándal, Carlos Cáceres and Hugo Flores were already convicted, who underwent an abbreviated trial and were therefore sentenced to three years in prison, which were replaced by public utility work.
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