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In
November 2017,
the Chinese
cement case
caused the
arrest of
importer Juan
Carlos Bolaños.
/ Asamblea Legislativa
courtesy photo.
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Judge dictates house arrest for controversial
importer Juan
Carlos Bolaños
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
The Criminal Court of the
Second Judicial Circuit of San José*,
approved the request of the
businessman, Juan Carlos
Bolaños, linked with the
controversial case Cementazo,
for house arrest.
According to the decision of
the Court, the decision was
made because Mr. Bolaños will
soon have knee surgery. The
new pre-trial measures are:
remain in the country,
delivery of the passport to
custody by the Public
Ministry, use electronic
anklet and not communicate
with people who are also
related to the case known as
Cementazo. He also had to put
two mortgages up as
collateral.
According to statements to the
newspaper La Nacion, Bolaños
lawyer, Juan Marco Rivera,
"the change of precautionary
measures was achieved after a
year and a half of legal
battle." From the beginning,
Bolaños was told that he had
real damage in the knee, which
was determined with different
medical opinions and received
no treatment. The penitentiary
centers in which he was
located did not provide care.
It made it extremely difficult
for doctors to arrive.
However, the resolution of the
court was appealed by the
Prosecutor of the Public
Ministry and is in the process
of analysis. The appeal is
expected to be resolved in the
next few hours.
In December of 2018, Bolaños
had already undergone knee
surgery and was transferred to
recuperate in the jail for the
elderly, CAI Senior
Adult prison* located in
Alajuela.
The Cementazo case, as A.M.
Costa Rica reported on March
2018, was also mentioned in a
U.S. report “Cementazo
corruption case in Costa
Rica.”
"A scandal of corruption and
influence peddling that
reached the three powers of
Costa Rica," is the way the
International Drug Control
Strategy 2018 described the
case of illegal loans for the
import of Chinese cement,
locally known as Cementazo.
"A corruption scandal and
influence peddling that
erupted in July 2017 triggered
investigations and suspensions
of officials in all three
branches of the state and a
state bank, which may have
helped to obtain a large
amount of loans and receive
import permits among other
benefits," the report says.
In November 2017, the Chinese
cement case caused the arrest
of importer Juan Carlos
Bolaños, as well as that of
six managers of the Bank of
Costa Rica, who are being
investigated for crimes going
from influence peddling to
embezzlement in the granting
of a line of credit for $30
million.
Investigations related to the
case also included the former
legislators Victor Morales
Zapata and Otto Guevara, as
well as the former magistrate
Celso Gamboa, whom the Supreme
Court asked be dismissed from
his post after concluding that
he had committed serious
offenses due to his
relationship with Bolaños.
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Should
Bolaños continue to
serve pretrial
detention in jail
after the surgery?
We
would like to know your thoughts
on this story. Send your comments
to: news@amcostarica.com
*Link to reach the place map.
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