National District judge Kenya Romero sent five of the accused in the Coral 5G corruption case to serve 18-month preventive custody at the Najayo Jail in San Cristobal. The defendants are accused of running a corruption and asset laundering network. The case was declared complex. The Coral 5G case is a part two to the Operation Coral also investigated by state prosecutors.
Generals Carlos Torres Rubiou, former director of the Tourist Security Corps (Cestur) and Boanerges Reyes Batista, deputy chief of the Presidential Security Corps (Cusep), Captain Franklin Antonio Mata Flores, pilot Colonel Yehudy Blandesmil Guzmán Alcántara and Major José Manuel Rosario Pirón were sent to Najayo Correction and Rehabilitation Center.
Meanwhile, lieutenant colonel Erasmo Roger Pérez, colonel Miguel Ventura Pichardo, colonel Carlos Augusto Lantigua Cruz, first lieutenant Jehohanan Lucía Rodríguez Jiménez and civilians César Félix Ramos Ovalle and Esmeralda Ortega, who allegedly have collaborated with the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (Pepca) are under house arrest.
Lieutenant colonel Kelman Santana Martínez was ordered to appear periodically in court and cannot leave the country.
The defense of the former director of Cestur described the coercive measure as arbitrary. Lawyer Candido Simón said that he will wait for the resolution issued by the court to be published to analyze whether or not to appeal the ruling.
The case of another accused, General Julio Camilo De los Santos Viola is on hold. His defense has recused the judge. So his arraignment is still pending. De los Santos was the deputy chief of the Presidential Security Corps. He had replaced Major General Adan Cáceres when the general was arraigned for corruption in the Coral Operation case. The Coral 5G case is considered the part 2 of the Coral Operation. The Second Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals of the National District was empowered to decide if judge Romero will be able to hear the measure or if on the contrary another judge will be appointed in her place.
De los Santos Viola was arrested on November 17. When he was taken to the arraignment hearing days later, he challenged Judge Romero and the Court of Appeals rejected this. On 8 December, he challenged her again and was removed from the case. The court decided to hear his case separately from the others accused in the Operation 5G.
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Attorney General Office
El Caribe
Listin Diario
15 December 2021