Global Courant 2023-04-21 07:48:37
The full magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) rejected last Wednesday, April 19, an excuse raised by the investigating judge Freddyn Fernández for not knowing the process of withdrawing the immunity of the deputy José Armando Ubico Aguilar, who is required in extradition by the US accused of drug trafficking.
Rudy Esquivel, spokesman for the Judicial Branch (OJ) pointed out that “in the ordinary session of the plenary session of magistrates on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the preliminary trial 2-2023 was known and resulted”, filed by the Public Ministry (MP), ” against José Armando Ubico Aguilar, deputy to the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala, the excuse raised is unanimously rejected.”
About Ubico Aguilar weighs a request for the withdrawal of immunity that the Public Ministry (MP) made on December 28, 2022.
The pre-trial request is for possible links to networks dedicated to drug trafficking and responds to a request from the US justice system, which seeks to investigate this alleged link to organized crime.
On January 10, the CSJ admitted for processing the request to withdraw the pre-trial against Ubico.
That day, the plenary session of magistrates unanimously decided to continue the process against him and Freedyn Fernández was assigned as investigating judge, who presides over the First Chamber of the Criminal Court of Appeals.
From that account, Deputy Ubico challenged Judge Fernández on a second opportunity, for allegedly maintaining a friendship with two opposition deputies, Carlos Barreda and Orlando Blanco, whom he considers “his political rivals.”
Under this argument, the parliamentarian requested that the investigator be removed from the process.
