The Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) appointed judge Napoleon Estevez Lavandier to be the Special Instruction Judge to hear accusations of irregularities that affect deputy Sergio Moya (Goris). Moya was mentioned in the Operation Squid (Calamar) government corruption case. The investigations would determine whether he should be tried in court.
The ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) deputy has been mentioned by several witnesses in the Operation Squid case, but has privileged jurisdiction and thus the accusations against him need to be heard separately at the Supreme Court of Justice. The Chamber of Deputies must meet to authorize the investigation.
President of the SCJ, Henry Molina, appointed the judge after the director of Prosecution of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Yeni Berenice Reynoso, requested so in the preparatory phase underway regarding the legislator that represents citizens living in the National District.
Operation Squid witnesses Ramon Emilio (Mimilo) Jiménez, Fernando Crisóstomo, José Arturo Ureña and Frixo Messina Arvelo, appear in the prosecution file stating that Moya was one of the coordinators of the extortion scheme against the lottery banks that operated from the Ministry of Hacienda’s Casinos and Gaming Agency under former Minister Donald Guerrero during the Danilo Medina administration. As denounced, bribes were demanded to allow illegal betting shops to remain open.
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El Dia
13 April 2023