Prosecutor’s office says Congress leaves ‘horrendous precedent of impunity’ in George Glass’s criminal trial | Political | news

The failure of the National Assembly to vote to authorize a criminal trial against former Vice President George Klaus sets “a terrible precedent of impunity,” the state attorney general’s office said in a statement released minutes after the 883rd session of the plenary session. It was held on Thursday afternoon, December 21.

The Legislature heard and voted on a request from Judge Luis Rivera of the National Court, who asked Parliament to decide whether or not to prosecute Claus. Fraud in Manabi reconstruction case.

Of the 92 votes required to approve the case, only 44 votes were reached. In response to a motion by Assemblywoman Esther Cuesta (RC), there were 48 negative votes, 0 abstentions and 23 abstentions. Vote to decide Judge Rivera’s request.

According to the attorney general’s office, those resolved by the Legislature “have no legal effect.” For this reason, the Public Ministry announced that it would “press the request for a date and time for the hearing to frame the charges.”

The body led by Attorney General Diana Salazar, although the Constitution establishes that Parliament can authorize criminal prosecution of the President and Vice President, when the competent authority requests it in a well-established manner, this “applies during these officers. Exercise functions “.

In this context, the Attorney General’s Office noted that if the alleged acts were committed while he was in office, the approval of the legislative branch was not required, but the judicial process began later. (YO)