Nicolás Petro’s lawyer asks that the hearing not be in the Prosecutor’s Office: “we see it intimidating”

2023-07-30 15:26:34

After the suspension of the hearing against Nicolás Petro and his ex-wife, Day Vásquez, due to the absence of their lawyers in the proceedings, the defense of the son of President Gustavo Petro requested that the hearing not be held in the bunker of the Prosecutor’s Office in Bogota.

“I request that the concentrated hearing be held in a different place than the facilities of the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, taking into account that the accusatory system is a system of parties, governed by the principle of equality of arms, which would be violated by complete in the event that the hearing is held at our counterpart’s own facilities”, says the petition revealed by Semana.

“We see the intimidating presence of the Prosecutor next to our defendant, in the very facilities of the investigative body, where Mr. Petro is detained. The fact that he is detained by the Prosecutor’s Office does not authorize that the hearing can be held in said facilities ”, reads the request signed by the defense lawyer.

This is the request of the defense of Nicolás Petro, so that the capture legalization hearing is not held at the Prosecutor’s Office. | Photo: Screenshot letter.

This Saturday, half an hour after the hearing to legalize the capture of Nicolás Petro and Day Vásquez began in the bunker of the Prosecutor’s Office in Bogotá, the guarantee control judge in charge of it decided to suspend it and return the folder to the judicial services because the lawyers of those captured were not in the place.

For this reason, prosecutor Mario Burgos questioned the actions of Day Vásquez’s lawyers, assuring that virtuality could be used to intervene in the hearing. It should be remembered that Vásquez’s defense had declared themselves unable to attend the proceeding because they were not available until 11:00 pm on Saturday.

Given this, the judge reproached the request made by the Prosecutor’s Office. “There was improper information on the part of the Prosecutor,” she pointed out. The outstanding scene of the night was that of the defendants. After a long time apart, Nicolás Petro and Day Vásquez appeared together on the screen from the prosecutor’s bunker, where they will remain until they are assigned a new office.

Nicolás Petro and his ex-wife Day Vásquez together with President Gustavo Petro. | Photo: Instagram @dayvasquezdd_

Now, the Prosecutor’s Office must resubmit the hearing request once all the parties are available, so that the Paloquemao Judicial Service Center appoints a new judge and thus move forward with the legalization of the capture. Thus, the request of the defense lawyer of the representative of the Atlantic is known in the middle of a race against time, because, legally, the judge has 36 hours to legalize the capture.

What’s next for the judicial process?

It is important to highlight that this judicial process will follow a series of stages, which include the legalization of the capture, the imputation of charges and the insurance measure, before being brought before a judge of knowledge. The latter will be the one who will accuse Petro and will review any legal benefit presented by her lawyers.

For the moment, Nicolás Petro has assured that he will respond to the authorities that require it. The judicial process that he faces is unprecedented and, for that reason, he continues to generate great media and political attention.