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Caja-Fischel Trial Entering Final Phase

The long drawn out Caja-Fichel trial could enter its final phase today with the Fiscalía asking the judges of the Tribunal Penal de Goicoechea the sanctions for the accused, if found guilty.

In total eight people, including former president, Rafael Ángel Calderón, who is also a candidate for the 2010 presidential elections, accused of corruption and embezzlement related to the million dollar purchase of medical equipment for the Caja Costarricesence de Seguro Social (CCSS), using a loan from the government of Finland.

The group is accused of dividing up and pocketing large commissions on the purchase that was made by was of the Corporacion Fischel (Costa Rica’s largest pharmacy chain), to the detriment of the social security system.

Juan Carlos Cubillo, the fiscal (prosecutor) for the Ministerio Público asked the court on Thursday to begin the process of beginning closing arguments and setting out the sanctions in the case.

Cubillo explained that the court will be presented some 80 slides and estimates that it will take about two and a half hours to present the legal basis and the penalty.

The prosecutor did not advance what the sanctions will be.

Accused along with former president Calderón, are Walter Reiche, former president of the Fischel; Eliseo Vargas, former president of the Caja; Gerardo Bolaños, Juan Carlos Sánchez, Olman Valverde, Marvin Barrantes and Randall Vargas.

The case came to light when it was learned that Eliseo Vargas was living in a luxurious home in the upscale residential community of Lindora, in Santa Ana, in a house paid for by the Fischel Corporation.

The ensuing investigation discovered that, while vargas was a legislative deputy, it was proposed to use a us$30 million credit from the government of Finland to purchase medical equipment from the Caja.

Former president Calderón is alleged to have sped up the deal which was finalized when Vargas became the executive president of the Caja.

The Corporacion Fischel was awarded the bid for the purchase made with the Finnish loan that had been expanded to us$39 million dollars, of which millions of dollars in commissions was funneled to the pockets of the accused.

Calderón, notwithstanding being on trial since last year, was chosen to as the presidential candidate for the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) to run in 2010.

Rafael Ángel Calderón, born in Diriamba, Nicaragua, served as President of Costa Rica from 1990 to 1994. His father was Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, who was president from 1940 to 1944, founder of the CCSS, who also established the Labour Code, introducing minimum wage in Costa Rica.