2024-08-20 08:47:32
Former President of the Judiciary, Wilman Terán, finally arrived at the Assembly in Quito on July 17, to personally defend himself in his impeachment trial.
Following requests and insistence from Correa’s supporters, the continuation of the impeachment trial against Wilman Terán was resumed on the afternoon of July 17, once the arrival of the former president of the Judicial Council to Quito was confirmed.
Terán entered the National Assembly building in Quito after 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, and according to the president of the Legislative Assembly, Henry Kronfle, he changed his clothes to appear before the Plenary.
The former official is serving preventive detention in La Roca prison in Guayaquil, as part of the investigations into the Metástasis case, and therefore, upon his arrival he was wearing the orange suit worn by prisoners.
At around 3:45 p.m., Terán took the floor and began his appearance in the impeachment trial against him. “These are difficult times for me,” said the former official, while complaining that he has not been able to access the electronic files to be able to defend himself.
He then compared himself to Christ, saying: “I have been living a via crucis since December 14, 2023.”
Teran’s appearance
On that date, Terán was arrested as part of the first raids in the Metastasis case.
With a sad voice, he said that in these seven months of investigations against him, the only thing they have found is the honesty of his actions as president of the Judicial Council. “I am deprived of my freedom for a reason that cannot be justified,” he said.
Terán begins to show the alleged chats he had with the State Attorney General, Diana Salazar. He says that these writings prove that there is a persecution against him. He assured that it is not an apocryphal document, because the chats have been examined.
He said that he brings up the conversations with Salazar, because one of the reasons for the impeachment was the suspension of the former judge of the National Court of Justice (CNJ), Walter Macías, which is also the reason for the criminal case by the investigation of the justice that the Prosecutor’s Office is pursuing against him.
Only an imbecile would think that the judge who sentenced Rafael Correa could then seek an agreement for an appeal to nullify the sentence against the former president, said Terán in relation to the assertion of the former member of the Judiciary, Xavier Muñoz, about an alleged meeting in Brazil to discuss this issue.
However, he says he regrets having allowed himself to be influenced by “emissaries” and that, seeing what is happening in his case, where the Prosecutor’s Office supposedly does not allow him to defend himself, the same thing could have happened in the Bribery case.
He asks that she meet with prosecutor Salazar to determine who is lying and who is telling the truth, and that the cell phones be analyzed. If necessary, that an international commission be formed to review her case and what she says.
SNAI facilitated Terán’s transfer
The session in the Assembly was originally scheduled for 12:00, but in an official document, the National Service for Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) reported that Terán is being taken from La Roca prison in Guayaquil to the Assembly in Quito.
The SNAI also stated that although it received notification that Terán should appear before the Plenary to defend himself in the impeachment trial on July 16, it was never specified that he should appear in person.
For this reason, last Tuesday he was only provided with a virtual connection through the Zoom platform.
This document from the SNAI arrived after 11:40 on Wednesday. Although, a first reply was received beforehand in which it was stated that for security reasons of the prisoner, Wilman Terán, it was better not to transfer him to Quito and insisted that the appearance be done electronically.
The issue of Terán’s appearance was handled with great caution in the Legislature.
Prior to reading the documents submitted by the SNAI, neither the interpellant, Jorge Peñafiel, of the Construye movement, was clear whether or not Terán would appear before the Assembly to continue with the trial.
Once the session is set up, Terán will have three hours to defend himself. Then there will be a space for replies, during which each of the questioners and the questioned will be able to speak for up to one hour.
From there the debate begins and finally, the assembly members must vote for or against the censure.
By: PRIMICIAS