Judge Modesto Martínez, of the Eighth Penal Chamber, has requested the presence of Major General Pedro de Jesus Candelier Tejada for questioning. He has given the chief of the Police 24 hours to heed his summons. He issued the 24-hour order after President Mejía expressed his opinion that Candelier should not go before the judge. The Judge is hearing the case of citizens that were arrested in one of the Police round up and have not been charged or released. The Police periodically carries out the round-ups in slum barrios seeking to pick up known delinquents and bring peace and order to those neighborhoods. President Mejía told journalist that he supports Candelier not standing before the Judge. "General Candelier is not going to go, he should not go," said President Mejía. He said that the chief of the Police doesn’t have to go before the judge to explain anything. He said that the order from the judge was "cheap demagoguery." President Mejía’s position on the matter has met with the opposition of the National Commission on Human Rights, the Latin American Association of Jurists and former District Attorney Guillermo Moreno that say the chief of the Police is not above the law. Candelier has locked horns with the Judiciary recently. Cases of delinquents making headlines with new crimes have been in the news, with the population wondering why these known criminals are not in jail. The Police has criticized the judiciary for being too quick to release delinquents. And the judiciary has countered that the Police does not substantiate its cases. President of the Supreme Court of Justice Jorge Subero Isa had no opinion on the matter for reporters.
