The head of the defense team for the erstwhile president of the collapsed Baninter bank, Ramon Baez Figueroa, yesterday accused high-ranking officers in the Mejia government of using pressure tactics and blackmail to sway Judge Eduardo Sanchez Ortiz, who is in charge of the Banintner case. Lawyer Marino Vinicio Castillo (Vincho) said these officers were seeking to remove key presidential re-election figures, Eligio Jaquez, Pastora Mendez and Ana Maria Acevedo, from the case. The lawyers representing Baez Figueroa have publicly stated that the three extorted the bank to obtain resources to finance the amendment to the Constitution that made re-election a possibility.