The famous Orlando Mart?nez case resumes today in the Tenth Penal Court of the National District under the direction of Judge Katia Miguelina Jim?nez Mart?nez. The trial concerns the 1975 murder of journalist Orlando Mart?nez Howley. Mart?nez had been critical of the government of then-President Dr. Joaqu?n Balaguer, but it is believed that he may have been assassinated because he was about to uncover in his column an economic scandal involving the State Sugar Council (CEA). In his famous biography, "Memories of a Courtesan," Dr. Balaguer left a blank page (No. 295) about the case that he said would be filled in after his death, hinting that he knows critical secrets about the murder or its original police investigation. Five former military men are standing trial for the murder: retired generals Salvador Llubers Mont?s ("Chinino"), Joaqu?n Antonio Pou Castro and Jos? Isidoro Mart?nez, plus former military Rafael Alfredo Lluberes Ricart and Luis Emilio de la Rosa. Dr. Balaguer has been called as a witness, but had repeatedly declined to attend court proceedings, pleading ill health. He will not attend today’s hearing because he is currently in Houston, Texas, undergoing medical treatment. Another key figure missing from today’s proceedings will be ex-Air Force sergeant Mariano Dur?n, believed to have been the trigger man in the killing. Dur?n is under arrest in New York pending a decision on the DR’s extradition request. Judge Jim?nez Mart?nez had originally postponed proceedings last December until today in the hopes that Dur?n would be processed and extradited in the interim in order to attend the trial. However, it was revealed yesterday that Dominican authorities committed a major procedural error which has slowed the processing of the extradition request: they did not submit a copy of the request in English, as U.S. law requires. Prosecutors are expected to ask the judge today for more time in order to get Dur?n back on Dominican soil and into the courtroom.
