A Santiago court has postponed a hearing due to take place yesterday, Tuesday, 20 March 2018, to review the coercive measures in place against the ex-police lieutenant Fernando de los Santos, better known as “La Soga”. The new hearing has been set for Monday, 2 April.
Judge Ingrid Liberato announced the decision as the victims and several witnesses had not been summoned for the case about the death of two people in 2011 in which La Soga is accused of as well as carrying an illegal firearm.
Immediately, La Soga’s lawyer, Francisco Hernández, criticized the Dominican legal system saying that it had collapsed as there was no justification that a hearing that had been scheduled three months and six days ago had not been able to proceed with the regulatory protocols.
He said that he had the intention to petition the court for the release his client from jail as he had sufficient reasons, including social, family and economic, so as to not be a flight risk.
“La Soga” has been in preventive custody for three months for the deaths of Elvis Valerio and Luis Roberto Torres, and he has been in a special jail for Special Operations of the National Police in Manoguayabo, in Santo Domingo West.
Despite that fact that the police said they were actively looking for La Soga, he was in his own residence the whole time in Gurabo, leading a normal life since he deserted the ranks of the police force in 2011.
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Diario Libre
21 March 2018
