At 08:30 on April 10, 2024, the early testimony hearing of the Judicial Independence case in the National Court of Justice (CNJ), for apparent obstruction of justice. Before the judge Julio César Ingathe ex-vocal of the Judicial Council (CJ), Xavier Muñozas well as Marcela Vaca Villotaformer National Deputy Director of Disciplinary Control of the Judiciary, and Alex Palaciosformer National Director of Legal Advice of the same entity.
In this case, the Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting thirteen people, among them, Wilman Terán, Maribel Barreno y Xavier Muñozformer president and former members of the CJrespectively.
At 09:04, the intervention of Xavier Muñoz48 years old, who had the presence of his lawyer Mauricio Garrido and is a protected witness. She recounted how she became a member of the CJ as part of the shortlist proposed by the former president Lenin Moreno Garcesthrough the former minister Maria Paula Romo who asked for his resume. He maintained that he came to the position because of his resume and his merits, not because of political issues. She met Moreno at a social gathering in 2020 and had a “nice friendship” with him.
He claimed that he was persecuted by Christian Social Party and the former assemblyman Pablo Muenteswho is prosecuted by Purge Case, who has been detained since March 4 of this year. He also said that the former president Guillermo Lassothrough Aparicio Caicedoformer presidential advisor, asked him to help them with some jurisdictional procedures and, apparently, they also wanted to remove the former president of the National Court of Justice, Ivan Saquicela, because he had a run-in with the former head of state. Also manage favorable procedures in judicial cases that involve ministries. Muñoz He didn’t want to do it and they persecuted him and even Financial Analysis Unit (UAFE) investigated it.
Knowledge a Rafael Correa through the judges Byron Guillen y Luis Rivera. Thus he met with the former president at the hotel Tivoli Mofarrej of São Paulo Brazilin March 2023. At the meeting, Correa asked him to support Will havein exchange for supporting him in the face of a possible political trial in the National Assembly. Likewise, he pointed out that the former president had a plan to return to the Ecuador If an appeal for review is approved in the Bribery Case. “If they accepted him, the case fell apart” because the sentence was annulled and Correa I could go back.
#NOW | Case #IndependenciaJudicial: with the presence of the attorney general @DianaSalazarM2it is installed –in the @NationalCourt– the hearing to receive 3 anticipated testimonies within the process in which #ProsecutorEc investigates an alleged #obstructionofjustice. pic.twitter.com/CxahdfXVmO
— Prosecutor’s Office Ecuador (@FiscaliaEcuador) April 10, 2024
On the other hand, one of the topics on the agenda of Correa It was the dismissal of the prosecutor Diana Salazar. He does not know the reasons and did not attend the meeting in which they addressed this issue because he did not agree. He questioned the role of they will have at the head of the Judiciary because he became a “dictator.” “We gave him a lot of power in the plenary session, because his vision was to transform the judicial system, not to take it over like he did.”
He stated that the lawyer Bibian Hernandezrelated to Correismo and investigated for apparent money laundering Friendship casemanaged the appointment of Wilman Terán. Furthermore, it had three objectives:
- The dismissal of Diana Salazar as attorney general. The same for Wilson Toaingadeputy prosecutor.
- that the judges Byron Guillen y Luis Rivera continue in the CNJ.
- Manage to accept the review resource Ramiro Galarzasentenced in Bribery Case. With this, it helped Correa and the sentence was annulled.
In accordance with EcuavisaAt 11:27, the hearing was suspended for ten minutes.
#Xavier #Muñoz #affirms #Correa #asked #support #Terán
