They exonerate lawyers, linked to Scherer, accused of extortion

A federal court determined that there are no elements to link to the process three lawyers and an accountant linked to the former legal adviser to the Presidency, Julio Scherer, for various crimes. However, it allowed the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to continue its investigations and eventually present a new accusation.

These are the lawyers César Omar González Hernández, Juan Antonio Araujo Rivapalacio, and Isaac Pérez Rodríguez, as well as the financial advisor David Gómez Arnau, whom the FGR accused of extorting businessman Juan Collado, promising alleged procedural benefits.

In February of this year, Juan Collado denounced the group of lawyers and the accountant for extortion, for 2,000 million pesos in exchange for a reparation agreement that would release him from the process he is facing for money laundering and organized crime. Collado accused the lawyers of trying to force him to sell Caja Libertad to Banco Afirme.

On May 19, federal judge Felipe de Jesús Delgadillo Padierna dismissed the trial initiated by the FGR against said group for the crimes of criminal association, influence peddling, and aggravated extortion.

Given this, the Attorney General’s Office headed by Alejandro Gertz Manero accused the judge of abusive acts, of being aggressive and biased, for acquitting the group of defendants.

The Fourth Unitary Court in Criminal Matters of Mexico City ratified the non-linkage to the process against César Omar González Hernández, Juan Antonio Araujo Rivapalacio, and Isaac Pérez Rodríguez, for lack of evidence, and revoked the hearing that Judge Delgadillo had given to the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) so that this autonomous body will investigate alleged violations of the human rights of the four defendants.

The court ruled that there was no concealment of an alleged reparation agreement or an opportunity criterion granted by the FGR to Juan Ramón Collado Mocelo, which favored the four defendants.

It admitted that there were deficiencies in the investigation and in the request for linkage to the process by the Prosecutor’s Office, since they originated from an investigation conducted under an incorrect reading of the criminal regulations relevant to the present matter.

jorge.monroy@eleconomista.mx