Virginia Laparra, former head of Quetzaltenango’s Office of the Special Prosecutor Against Impunity (FECI), was sentenced to four years in commutable prison, at a rate of Q10 a day, after the Eighth Criminal Sentencing Court on condemned this Friday, December 16, 2022 .
The former anti-corruption prosecutor was convicted of continued abuse of authority for suing a judge in 2018 without having received authorization from Feci in Guatemala.
Present at the sentence were Ricardo Méndez Ruiz and Raúl Falla of the Foundation against Terrorism, the plaintiff in the trial.
Méndez Ruiz, said he was “satisfied” with the resolution of judge Oly González, who convicted former prosecutor Laparra of abuse of authority.
At the final hearing in the case, on December 15, Laparra delivered his last words and discussed the charges brought against him by Judge Lesther Castellanos.
She pointed out that Judge Castellanos revealed his motivation for charging her was for a rematch, which she said was highlighted in November 2018.
“This is revenge not really against me, but against the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (Cicig),” said Laparra.
“At the dismissal hearing -Castellanos- told my lawyer: ‘Look, she didn’t go, it was Cicig, but someone has to pay'”, said Laparra.
Laparra faced the judicial process because in 2018 she denounced Judge Castellanos four times, for which she was accused of an alleged “abuse of power”. The accuser claimed that Laparra acted “from private motivation”.
But according to Laparra, contrary to the accusation of Castellanos, who accused her of leaking information, she did her job and did not try to get noticed. “I didn’t do my job for popularity, but for the love of my people,” she said.
The former head of the Feci in Quetzaltenango, Virginia Laparra, is sentenced to four years of commutable imprisonment (at the rate of Q10 per day) for continued abuse of authority for having denounced a judge in 2018 without having had the authorization of the Feci in Guatemala . pic.twitter.com/Od1RyKkk0K
— Edwin Peter (@Epitan_PL) December 16, 2022
Feci’s former boss Virginia Laparra leaves the Eighth Criminal Court room after being found guilty of abuse of authority. pic.twitter.com/9ZwPuFhf7Q
— Edwin Peter (@Epitan_PL) December 16, 2022
