Hoy newspaper reports on the visit of Legal Advisor to the Executive Branch, controversial lawyer Guido G?mez Mazara, to the offices of the List?n Diario at around 10:30am yesterday. G?mez Mazara?s visit timed in shortly before the forceful noontime takeover of the List?n by District Attorney representatives, police and military detachment.
As reported in Hoy, Osvaldo Santana, director of the Ultima Hora, said that G?mez Mazara had met there with Ram?n B?ez Romano, the father of detained Baninter president, Ram?n B?ez Figueroa. It is reported that G?mez Mazara requested not to be photographed during his visit to the L?stin?s offices, the term was agreed to and no photographs were taken. Apparently, however, videos did not form part of the bargain. Shortly after G?mez Mazara denied having made the visit. But the executives of the newspaper had covertly videotaped evidence of his presence at the scene, which was later released to the media.
Santana said that the call paid to the List?n?s offices by the well-known counselor was to assure that the intervention would not signify editorial censorship. ?He came here to give us a candy and he said the intent of the government was not to occupy the companies?once he left, the justice officers came,? said Santana.
The List?n Diario owners argue that behind the government takeover lies a plan to put the impressive media of the Baninter Group at the service of the re-election campaign of President Hip?lito Mej?a. G?mez Mazara is one of the most outspoken supporters of the Hip?lito Presidential Project (PPH) faction within the PRD.
The Governor of the Central Bank, in his Tuesday 15 May address to the nation to reveal what he has described as the greatest fraud in the Republic?s history, had said that the government would takeover the print, radio and television media of the company, in order to guarantee the value of the companies for their sale in the shortest possible term, under open and competitive bidding processes, and within the established framework of the law.