Calderón And Company Verdict Due Today
October 5th, 2009 | by admin |
Monday, October 5, is an important day in the legal history of Costa Rica, as the court decision in the Caja-Fischel case is due at the Goicoechea courthouse, when former president, Rafal Angel Calderón (1990 – 1994) and seven others will learn their fate.
To ensure that the area around the Segundo Circuito Judicial de Goicoechea does not turn into complete caos, some 10 Tránsito (traffic) officials will be assigned to control traffic, said Tránsito director, Germán Marín.
Although the reading of the court decision will be in the afternoon, Marín said that traffic control will begin in the morning and is asking anyone that does not have to be in the area, not to do so, to avoid the expected congestion.
The three judges of the Segundo Circuito Judicial de Goicoechea will begin the reading of the sentence at 2:30pm.
Former president Calderón and six others accused of embezzlement and fraud stand to spend up to 23 years in jail each, while the former president of the Fischel Corporation, Walter Reiche faces 8 years for his collaboration with the prosecution.
On the other side of the coin, Calderón can be vindicated, the court supporting his position all along that he did nothing wrong and his participation was part of a normal course of business.
Either way the afternoon court session will attract interest from a large group of people.
The trial began late last yeard and ended two weeks ago, as the Ministerio Público presented its evidence and testimony in its attempt to prove that the eight individuals defrauded the Costa Rican people.
Briefly, the eight are alleged to have siphoned off a part of the us$39 million dollar loan from the government of Finland for the purchase of medical equipment by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) – Costa Rican social security – by way of the Fischel Corporation.
The ministerio Público presented its case of how Calderón, the former president of the CCSS and managers, along with the former president of the Fischel Corportation and its legal advisior, conspired together to defraud the state.
The case came to light when Eliseo Vargas, former president of the CCSS and former legislator, was living in a luxurious home in one of Costa Rica’s most upscale districts, Lindora de Santa Ana, a house paid for by the Fischel.
Calderón and six others have denied any wrong doing on their part. Reiche is alleged to have a made a deal with the Ministerio Público to help them in the case.
Calderón is also the 2010 presidential candidate for the Partido Unidad Social Crisitiana (PUSC) party.
The court decision will come two days ahead of the official start of the 2010 presidential elections and would leave the PUSC party without a leader if Calderón is found guilty.
