Suspended Judge Awilda Reyes Beltré has asked to call the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Mariano Germán, and former Attorney General Francisco Domínguez Brito as witnesses in the disciplinary hearing against her. She says these individuals should explain the circumstances of money they said she allegedly received. The Judicial Branch has rejected this request and another two related requests from Reyes Beltré.
As a result, Reyes Beltré decided to relieve her defense lawyer, Harold Echavarria, of his duties and appointed another lawyer for the hearing on Wednesday 22 March 2017, when the case continues.
The prosecution concluded that neither Germán nor Domínguez Brito had anything to do with the case and suggested it was a delaying tactic on the part of Reyes Beltré. Reyes Beltré strongly objected to this argument, reminding the court German had said at a press conference that she returned a supposed bribe that he had taken to the Attorney General. Therefore, she demanded that they testify, as both had spoken about her to the media. She wanted these justice officials to disclose the source of the money was which she had supposedly given to them.
Read more in Spanish:
Hoy
22 March 2017
