Former President
Rodríguez And
Eights Other To
Trial Today
Its been more
than five years
- 66 months in
fact - since
former Costa
Rican president,
Miguel Angel
Rodríguez, was
detained by
judicial
officials at the
San José
airport, accused
of corruption
and extortion
related to the
ICE-Alcatel
case.
 
Former Costa
Rican president
then (left) and
this morning (right)at
a press
conference prior
to entering
the court house
in San José.
This morning,
the former
president and
eight others
face three
judges who will
hear evidence
and testimony in
the case, in a
trial that is
expected to last
up to six
months.
The charges stem
from the
contract awarded
by the Instituto
Costarricesne de
Electricidad
(ICE) awarding
the us$150
million contract
to the French
telecom,
Alcatel, to
install Costa
Rica's first GSM
cellular
network.
Rodriguez, who
was president
from 1998 to
2002, was
accused of
corruption in
2004, forced to
step down as the
Secretary
General of the
Organization of
American States
(OAS), resigning
only one month
into his term,
to return to
Costa Rica to
face charges.
The former
president,
during while
waiting his day
in court, has
been proactive
of the
accusations
against him,
including
writing a book "Di
la Cara"
(I gave face),
explaining the
trampling of his
rights.
Rodriguez is
accused of
receiving more
than us$800.000
in payments from
Alcatel in
exchange for the
company getting
help in
obtaining the
contract back in
2001 when
Rodriguez was
president.
Christian
Sapsizian, a
French citizen
and former
Alcatel
executive,
entered the plea
in U.S. District
Court in Miami
and sentenced to
30 months in
prison, three
years of
supervised
release, and
forfeiture of
$261,500, after
admitting to
taking part in
the scheme that
say us$2.5
million dollars
paid out to
Rodriguez and
other ICE
officials.
Sapsizian was a
20-year Alcatel
employee and
served as the
company's deputy
vice president
for Latin
America
Sapsizian
admitted to
conspiring with
Edgar Valverde
Acosta, who was
president of
Alcatel in Costa
Rica.
Another of the
accused is
Eliseo Vargas,
who was also
implicated and
convicted in the
Caja-Fischel
case, a case
where another
former
president,
Rafael Angel
Calderón
(1990-1994), was
convicted of
corruption after
receiving
payments in
exchange for the
purchase of
medial equipment
for the Caja
Costarricense de
Seguro Soical (CCSS).
In addition to
the criminal
charges, the
Fiscalía has
presented a
civil suit for
us$52 million
dollars against
Alcatel, of
which us$10
million dollars
was paid in
March of this
year.
Eduaro Araya,
one of the
former
president's
lawyers, said he
is optimistic
that his client
will be
completely
absolved.
The list of
accused in the
ICE-Alcatel case
and beginning
this morning
face a panel of
three judges and
one alternate in
a trial that is
expected to last
months.
1. Miguel
Angel Rodríguez,
former president
of Costa Rica
2. Edgar
Valverde Acosta,
former president
of Alcatel Costa
Rica
3. Joaquín
Fernández Alfaro,
former ICE
director
4. Guido
Sibaja Fonseca,
Excoordinador de
comisión
adjudicadora del
ICE
5. Rodrigo
Méndez Soto,
Exsubjefe ICETEL
6. Luis
Adrián Quirós
Carmona,
lawyer for the
law firm Q.C.
7. Alfonso
Guardia Mora,
businessman
8. Eliseo
Vargas García,
former president
of the CCSS (Caja
Costarricense de
Seguro Social)
9. Eduardo
Enrique Fonseca
García,
Exsubjefe del
ICE
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