Monterey, NL. The Control judge, Eduardo Hoyuela Orozco, decided to link only the former governor of Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, to the process for alleged abuse of authority for the requisition of the Ecovía, and the precautionary measure was pending to determine if he continues in preventive detention for this case.
When the hearing resumed, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office asked the Control Judge to indict the former president, and the indictment against three more former officials was withdrawn.
According to an audio that was leaked on social networks, during the hearing, the Bronco asked the Control Judge, Hoyuela Orozco, to give him the opportunity to find out what he is accused of and asked him:
“Am I going to find out after you make a decision, Mr. Judge? I am not aware.”
“An investigation that lasted 2 and a half years (…) and for which I do not have any documents, not a single comment from the Prosecutor’s Office (Anti-Corruption), neither public nor private, I did not even have lawyers, go; Obviously, as I will be able to defend myself, Mr. Judge, I am absolutely defenseless,” said the former president.
Rodríguez Calderón claimed that the other three former officials, Jorge Longoria Treviño, former head of the State Transportation Agency; Roberto Russildi Montellano, former Secretary of Sustainable Development, and Manuel González Fernández, former director of Metrorrey, are also singled out, although the accusation was deferred to them: “why not me?” he asked.
He explained to the Control judge that today, April 12, he will have another trial before a federal judge for the alleged crime of using resources of illicit origin in the campaign as a candidate for the Presidency in 2018.
He assured that he does not intend to stand aside, “I have always said that any person has to be brought to justice when they commit an infraction that warrants it. Right now I’m helpless.”
This is because their lawyers only had the weekend to document themselves, and also “where do I deliver the documents, how do I justify what I am accused of and be able to find the counterpart?” Rodríguez Calderón questioned.
Access to inquiry
The former president assured that he is detained in the Apodaca prison and will not go anywhere and should have been given the opportunity to study the investigation file against him.
“I understand that those who exercise criminal justice could give me like any other citizen, I am not someone special, I do not want privileges either, I want what the Constitution establishes, and what I have the right to.”
He reiterated that he had not been notified except for the private hearing he had last Friday, April 8, which is an issue that has to do with his government action, and he asked permission to conclude the hearing, because he has not been able to sleep.
The hearing lasted for six hours, which was virtual and private.
Come acquittal in federal case
Last Friday, Control Judge Juan Roberto Ortíz Pintor began the hearing privately and virtually at the request of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which pointed out Rodríguez Calderón, and three other former officials, for abuse of authority in the Ecovía requisition.
However, there were several breaks, because the former governor had some stomach problems, in addition, his defense requested to defer the hearing because he was not given access to the investigation file.
The Bronco’s lawyers published an open letter indicating that it is likely that the former governor will be released by the federal judge and, therefore, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office “dusted off” an old and inappropriate investigation folder, due to the requisition of the Ecovia in June 2017.