Judge orders preventive detention to El Bronco for Ecovía case; defer hearing for electoral crimes

Monterey, NL. The District Judge Specialized in the Accusatory Penal System, Pedro Gerardo Álvarez Álvarez del Castillo, decided to defer the hearing of the former governor of Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, for the alleged crime of resources of illicit origin for his campaign for the Presidency of the Republic. The hearing will take place next Monday, April 18, at 2:30 p.m.

The Judge argued that the file had not been previously studied by the Control Judge, and more time is required to analyze the investigation file.

In addition, the District Judge pointed out that he did not have the videos or evidence of the Control Judge’s hearing, because they turned the case over to him until this weekend.

It will be next April 18 when the Federal Criminal Judge will be able to determine if he decides to revoke the order of linking to process and the precautionary measure and release the former governor of Nuevo León.

As will be remembered on March 17, the Control Judge, Carlos Alberto Salas, determined to link El Bronco to the process, who allegedly committed a electoral crime when receiving contributions of money, when there is a legal prohibition for it, in accordance with the provisions of article 15 of the General Law on electoral crimes.

In addition, he ordered preventive detention against the former governor, as a precautionary measure requested by the Special Prosecutor for Electoral Crimes.

However, on that same date, Control Judge Carlos Alberto Salas decided to refer the investigation file to a District Judge, because the defense argued that the alleged electoral crime is of a federal and not a local nature, therefore he had to send the investigation folder to the District Judge.

Ecovia case

After a marathon hearing, the Control Judge, Eduardo Hoyuela Orozco, decided to link the former governor to the process. Jaime Rodriguez Calderonfor the alleged crime of abuse of authority due to the requisition of the Ecovía in 2016 and established preventive detention as a precautionary measure.

Regarding the hearing held on Monday, April 11, the defense of the former official published a statement on social networks, where he complains that “Jaime Rodríguez Calderón was not allowed to personally see the records of the investigation.”

“His lawyers were not allowed to enter the prison to see him during the weekend, in order to prepare his defense and share the investigation folder. They also did not give the defense the records of the investigation folder with due opportunity, “said the defense.

“Jaime Rodríguez Calderón expressly requested that the hearing be held publicly, so that the Neolonese society could be a witness and monitor the actions of the ministerial and judicial authorities, however, said well-founded request was not heeded either.”

They accused that both the Prosecutor’s Office and the Judge ignored the constant requests for medical attention for the former governor since last Friday, when he said he was not in a position to take the hearing.

“To avoid the deferral, the Prosecutor’s Office reserved the formulation of imputation of the other co-defendants, this in open procedural inequality, making it clear that they were only interested in charging Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, to keep him in prison at all costs,” said the defense.

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