Q COSTARICA — Jorge Rodríguez, the Minister of Culture and Youth, “renounced” his immunity to face the criminal proceedings against him and President Rodrigo Chaves in the CABEI case.
This was announced tonight by his lawyer and confirmed by the minister during the hearing before the special congressional committee analyzing the request for the president and minister to be stripped of their immunity by the Full Court, following an accusation made by the Attorney General, Carlo Díaz.
According to Rodríguez and his lawyer, the waiver of immunity is “political” because they argue that it is a constitutional protection that cannot be waived, but he is requesting that the Legislative Assembly lift it in order to face the proceedings.
“Today, Minister Jorge Rodríguez Vives will waive the immunity of criminal inadmissibility. We know that the Constitution does not allow this to happen, however, due to a political act, he wishes to waive it and leaves it up to you, as the Legislative Assembly, to approve it and prosecute him criminally,” Brenes said.
The defense attorney questioned the solidity of the accusation and pointed out irregularities in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, including the use of the testimony of Christian Bulgarelli, who was granted crown witness status. According to Brenes, this benefit should have entailed the opening of a case for perjury or false testimony.
Rodríguez, for his part, asserted that his public career has been guided by transparency and respect for the rule of law.
“I appear today with the full conviction that public service only makes sense if it is exercised under the highest principles of transparency, legality, and accountability (…) In an act of consistency and absolute justice, I have raised the possibility of waiving immunity as a duty of transparency to the public,” the minister stated.
The minister added that he is not afraid of accusations and that, once the facts are clarified, he will file complaints against those he believes have injured his honor.
Source link
Rico
