The efforts of the ex-attorney Leonidas Rosa have been undermined
In the coming weeks, the attorneys will meet with the Commission of the National Congress
La Tribuna, Friday February 26, 2010
The authorities of the Public Ministry were sorely disappointed by the decision of the deputies in the National Congress to repeal law number 287-2009 which created the Office of Technical Criminal Investigation (DTIC).
With the authority granted under this law, its attorneys were able to investigate and discover those responsible for “criminal” kidnappings and breaking up bands of drug traffickers and organized crime.
“This is a decision of the National Congress that the Public Ministry, as an institution which has as its mission to protect and defend the general interests of the society, did not expect,” the Spokesperson, Melvin Duarte, representing the Attorney General’s office, said.
Last Wednesday, the National Congress, which is presided by the National Party Deputy, Juan Orlando Hernandez, brought up for discussion several decrees which had been approved “in haste” by the previous Congress, which was presided by Jose Alfredo Saavedra.
The principal objective of the Legislature was focused on repealing the decrees which had not been approved in the correct time frames and in proper form, as the law stipulates. Among those and as a special case 293-2009, concerning the concession of the dam called Jose Cecilio del Valle or Nacome.
But, also in the “list” was the “kick” against the Office of Technical Criminal Investigation (DTIC), that due to the bad luck of the Public Ministry- according to the lawyers- its creation had been published in the official paper (La Gaceta) on January 22, 2010 in spite of the fact that the decree had been sent in 2008, when the Attorney General was Leonidas Rosa Bautista.
In any case, the attorneys respect the decision of the Congress, because they have acted according to their faculties, but “we will be paying attention as an institution and we will remain vigilant that the commission which has been named by the Congress completes a study and an objective analysis in the 60 days which have been proposed.”
In this time period, a Commission of the Public Ministry composed of special attorneys and directors will meet with the Commission of the National Congress which includes deputies Gernan Leitzelar, Oswaldo Ramos Soto, Edwin Pavon, Mario Perez, Orli Solis, Rodolfo Zelaya and Olban Maldonado.
The attorneys and directors from the Public Ministry (PM) will present to these Congress people all of the information and the case studies which, from the point of view of the PM provide reasons for the need to create this criminal investigative agency inside of the institution.
It is hoped that the Congressional Commission recognizes the need for the DTIC under the jurisdiction of the MP, “we hope that the Commission conducts an objective study and we as an institution are in permanent contact with them.” said Duarte, spokesperson for the PM.
“We are satisfied about the initiative to name a commission which brings together the relevant actors. This is a motivation to not stop the initiatives, such as continuing the contacts in Canada and Colombia, which have offered their support to strengthen our investigative capacity”, he added. Duarte affirmed that in spite of the repeal of the decree, “the PM will continue with our system of reception and analysis of resumes which we have received for the technical jobs which may be created.”