The advance statements of some of the key characters in the case ‘Metastasis’ in Ecuador This Thursday they revealed details about the operation of the judicial, police and prison corruption plot that revolved around the alleged drug trafficker and money launderer. Leandro ‘El Patrón’ Norerokilled in prison in 2022.
During a very extensive hearing, the first testimonies revealed how Norero had built a network of contacts in the political system and in the judicial apparatus for his own interests, so that he could do business without being sanctioned by Justice.
Helive Anguloaccused as alleged administrator of Norero’s assets and legal advisor in the case where he was prosecuted for money laundering, assured that the now deceased donated money for public works to the mayor of the coastal city of Manta, Agustín Intriagokilled in July 2023.
«Leandro tried to put his money into state works or contracts. “I put him in contact with the mayor by telephone, and he told him about his desire to be able to invest.”Angulo said.
«In this case, Mr. Leandro Norero gave as a donation a value in effect to the mayor for 178,000 dollars. Once that was done, a loan of 500,000 was also made to the mayor, so that the money could be invested in public works.he added.
For its part, Marcelo Lassowho was Norero’s companion in the Latacunga prison, even stated, according to what was released by the Prosecutor’s Office, that Norero had conversations with the leaders of criminal gangs such as The Wolves y The Chonerosas well as with former president Rafael Correa about the release of the former vice president Jorge Glas.
There was also a lot of expectation about the publicist’s statement. Mayra Salazarwhich became a key link between criminal leaders and the Court of Justice of the province of Guayas, where favorable rulings were issued for the defendants.
Salazar, who according to the Prosecutor’s Office was the operator of Fabiola Gallardo after the campaign to access the position with funds from the now former Christian Social assemblyman took him Pablo Muentescommented that he became involved with drug traffickers after meeting the wife of Jorge Luis Zambrano (‘Raquiña’), the leader of The Choneros murdered at the end of 2020.
«Something that happened and caught my attention while I was trying to approach ‘Fito’ (current leader of Los Choneros) is that Pablo Muentes found out about said approach and complained to me about it. (…) The question is how Pablo Muentes found out that I was trying to make this approach with ‘Fito’, which corroborated that Pablo Muentes would have contacts with several leaders of criminal organizations»Salazar stated.
According to the Ecuadorian Police, Norero was in charge from the Latacunga prison, in the Andean province of Cotopaxi, of financing and sponsoring The Wolves, The Tiguerones and the Chone Killersamong other criminal gangs that sought to displace the hegemony of organized crime held by Los Choneros, the oldest and largest group operating in the country.
Also from the case ‘Metastasis’ the case is derived ‘Purge’where there are currently a dozen defendants for an alleged judicial corruption plot within the Court of Justice of the coastal province of Guayas that gave rulings favorable to the drug trafficker Jose Adolph Macias Villamar (‘Phyto’)among other questionable sentences.
The revelations of these testimonies made by the Prosecutor’s Office occur at a time where the former Correísta assemblyman Ronny Aleagawho is also prosecuted in the ‘Metastasis’ case, claims to have 1,500 chats with the attorney general Diana Salazar that would compromise the head of the Public Ministry.
However, Salazar assured that it is one more attempt to discredit her by one of the defendants in ‘Metastasis’ who is a fugitive from Justice by remaining outside the country. EFE (I)
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