Of the Senate and justice committee and the disciplinary committee of the Chamber of Deputies continue to study the request to strip parliamentary immunity from the PLD Senators Julio Cesar Valentin (Santiago) and Tommy Galán (San Cristóbal) as well as the PRM deputy Alfredo Pacheco (National District) who are under indictment on bribery charges involved in the Odebrecht scandal of some US $92 million.
Since last Wednesday, the justice commission of the Senate which is chaired by Aristides Victoria Yeb was given the request by the magistrate. However, as of Wednesday, 7 June 2017 no deliberations or actions on the magistrate’s request have occurred.
Citing Resolution 0031, the judge of Special Instruction (somewhat similar to a Special Prosecutor), Francisco Ortega, requested the removal of immunity that covers the legislators in order to move forward with his investigation regarding the accusations against the legislators that are being prepared.
On Monday, Senator Valentin revealed that he had sent a letter to the Senate president, Reinaldo Pared Perez, where he requests the removal of his parliamentary immunity in order to face the accusations against him. Senator Galan presented a similar attitude towards his immunity.
In the meantime the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Lucia Medina Sanchez sent the judge’s request to the Disciplinary Committee.
Alfredo Pacheco is the spokesman for the Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and also appears in the files covering the Odebrecht case. According to article 87 of the Constitution of the Republic, Congress has two months to decide whether or not to remove this immunity from these legislators.
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El Nacional
8 June 2017
