Tuesday 02
September 2008, San
José, Costa Rica
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Preliminary Hearing
Begins In The ICE-Alcatel
Case
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Preliminary Hearing
Begins In The ICE-Alcatel
Case
Former Costa Rican
president, Miguel Ángel
Rodríguez, is finally
getting his day in
court, as preliminary
hearings into the
ICE-Alcatel scandal
began yesterday (Monday)
at 10am. Ten others are
standing accused in the
case with Rodríguez.
The hearing began after
the Hacienda penal judge
refused to suspend the
hearing at the request
of Rodríguez who wanted
to the court to wait the
resolution of the Sala
IV (Constitutional
Court) on his action of
unconstitutionality
before commencing the
proceedings.
In addition, the
Fiscalía (prosecutor)
requested for an
inclusion of evidence
contained that had been
omitted in the
indictment.
Given the inclusion,
defence lawyers for the
former ICE director,
Guido Sibaja and former
president of Alcatel
Costa Rica, Edgar
Valverde, asked to
suspend the hearing to
examine the new
evidence. The judge
refused that request
also.
After the failed
attempts by the
defendants to have the
hearings postponed, the
prosecutors began the
reading of the
indictment which is
expected to conclude
today.
The hearing is being
held at the Tribunales
de Goicoechea and
expected to continue to
the end of September, at
which time the judge
will render a decision
if the case will go to
trial or not.
Former president
Rodríguez is charged
with corruption and four
offences of unlawful
enrichment.
The charges were filed
after it was discovered
that the former
president received
payment of us$589.563
financial instruments
and us$231.000 in cash
linked to the puchase of
400.000 GSM lines by ICE
from Alcatel.
The charges against
Rodríguez also include
receiving us$1.4 million
dollars in pay off by
the government of Taiwan
while he was in office
(1998-2002).
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