Luis Ernesto Quintana Barney
(CNN Spanish) – The independent legislator and president of the supervisory commission of the National Assembly of Ecuador, Fernando Villavicencio, made public this Friday the draft report prepared by a team of advisors to the commission that resolves not to give way to political prosecution in against President Guillermo Lasso for alleged participation in the crime of embezzlement. Lasso has always denied allegations of corruption.
“The commission resolves not to recommend the political prosecution of the president,” specifies the final resolution, which will be put to a vote by the nine members of the commission this Saturday.
The text of the report, which does not have the support of the majority of the commission, indicates that during the impeachment process in the audit commission it was not possible to demonstrate that President Lasso had been part of a structure for the embezzlement of funds public.
ANALYSIS | Ecuador is in trouble and its president, Guillermo Lasso, could pay the price
“Once the loading and unloading evidence has been analyzed, as well as the response to the apparent policies presented, the Political Oversight and Control Commission, based on contributions and appearances within the performance of evidence, as well as the documentary evidence received, concludes that the constitutional president of the Republic has not incurred in the alleged crime of embezzlement”, the document points out.
The Constitutional Court admitted last March that the Assembly proceeded with the impeachment process against Guillermo Lasso for alleged participation in the crime of embezzlement due to a contract between the Ecuadorian Oil Fleet (Flopec) and the conglomerate Amazonas Tankers for the transportation oil, which would have represented a loss to state coffers.
Explosion of insecurity in Ecuador, is it the fault of Lasso or of previous governments? 3:32
However, the Comptroller General of the State, Carlos Riofrío, during the testing stage in the inspection commission, reported that after an audit of the contract signed in 2018 (before the Lasso government) its unilateral termination was not achieved and, Although there was a draft report with indications of criminal responsibility for six million dollars, Riofrío said that it never happened because “there was no fraud”, that is, that the person has not acted with the intention of doing damage by action or omission, according to the Penal Code of Ecuador.
The draft report of the audit commission maintains that during the impeachment process “it was verified that no contract was signed in July 2022 between Flopec EC and Amazonas Tankers Pool”, as the correísmo legislators and other opposition tendencies have alleged in the process. Lasso has been in power since May 24, 2021.
What is the scope of the draft report presented by legislator Fernando Villavicencio?
The report that will be submitted for consideration by the nine members of the audit commission this Saturday does not have the support of the majority of the assembly members that make it up.
Correista legislator from the Union for Hope (UNES) movement, Viviana Veloz, objected to the document.
“The tome of Villavicencio’s report with which he intends to fraud the Constitution does not have the votes for its approval,” he said.
Another of the assembly members questioning the process, the legislator expelled from Pachacutik, Mireya Pazmiño, said that, despite the report, the political trial is a fact.
What does the decree that Lasso made to combat criminal gangs order?
“What can you expect from Lasso’s passionate lawyer, only lies and slander. The trial goes because it goes “, emphasized Pazmiño.
For his part, the president of the audit commission, Fernando Villavicencio, told CNN that it is not possible to approve a reduction report or individually.
“Another report is not possible and neither are position reports. The law only speaks of a reasoned report. the plenary session of parliament who decided will be ”, she expressed.
Panorama of violence and crisis in Ecuador 2:13
Whether the report has votes or not, legislator Villavicencio assured that he will send the document to the president of the Assembly, Virgilio Saquicela, so that he can submit it to the full legislature for consideration in the next 72 hours after its delivery.
May 16 marks the 45-day deadline given by the Legislative Function Law for the Assembly to rule on whether or not to remove President Guillermo Lasso.
In mid-April, President Lasso told CNN that, in the event that the impeachment process advances to the plenary session of the Assembly, he will appear in person to defend himself.
“I have not committed embezzlement and I have to tell all the assembly members,” Lasso insisted on that occasion.
The CNN Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
