2024-09-09 21:26:17
The prosecution filed a motion to disqualify the judge, who was previously in charge of the Metastasis case.
As of July 26, National Court of Justice Judge Felipe Córdova will no longer be in charge of the Plaga case, which is investigating a corruption scheme in Ecuador’s justice system.
Córdova had taken over the case on June 28 through a drawing of lots, once the case left the Anti-Corruption Unit and went to the National Court of Justice.
Prosecutors filed a recusal
The Prosecutor’s Office filed a complaint for his recusal due to his ties to Michael Hernández, one of the defendants in the judicial corruption plot, who has an arrest warrant and is a fugitive, reported the Ecuavisa channel.
He added that Hernández was part of Wilman Terán’s team in the Judicial Council as national director of the School of the Judicial Function and worked with Christian Romero, lawyer of drug trafficker Leandro Norero, also a fugitive.
“According to the documentation provided by the Prosecutor’s Office, Córdova and Hernández are close friends,” Ecuavisa reported.
National Judge Marco Rodríguez accepted the recusal and ordered that substitute judge Manuel Cabrera act in his place.
He had excused himself from the Metastasis case
A month ago, Córdova had excused himself from continuing to participate in the Metastasis case process.
On June 26, 2024, through an official letter, the Magistrate indicated that he has been the object of hostile conduct by Wilman Terán and Daniel Salcedo.
According to Córdova, Terán and Salcedo have “charged him with the commission of certain acts (…) that could have criminal relevance.” Therefore, he considered that there is a clear enmity on the part of both defendants and he excused himself from continuing to pursue the case.
By: PRIMICIAS