Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.
David Castillo, chief executive of the Honduran power company Desarrollos Energéticos Sociedad Anónima, braided together an alternate storyline to counter evidence prosecutors allege tie him to the 2016 assassination of Berta Cáceres, an environmental activist who fought to stop one of DESA’s hydroelectric projects.
Investigators have been pulling at the loose threads.
The executive, who has denied any involvement in the murder, has been in prison awaiting trial in Tegucigalpa, the nation’s capital, for almost two-and-a-half years. Castillo’s defense lawyers argue that electronic messages he sent—which figure prominently in the case against him—were intentionally mishandled and misinterpreted by the lead telephone expert for the prosecution.
“We have found more evidence that she has manipulated more phone calls and more phone data,” Castillo alleged of the expert in an interview from prison.
His lawyers have asked the judge presiding over the case to admit evidence from their own telephonic experts, in a bid to undermine the prosecution’s message transcripts. The preliminary hearing in the case has been repeatedly delayed by such defense petitions, counter-motions and postponements, pushing back his potential trial date.
Berta’s supporters say they worry that it’s a strategy—a stalling tactic to delay justice long enough for Castillo to be released from custody. They have publicly challenged his counter-narrative that he was close friends with Berta, labeling it a fiction woven by a man they claim began constructing his alibi even before Cáceres was killed.
While Castillo’s prosecution remains in limbo, seven other people—including some he’s accused of conspiring with—have been convicted of helping to plot and execute Berta’s murder. Last December, they were sentenced to between 30 and 50 years in prison.
Their conviction was considered a significant achievement for the Honduran courts, an example of justice being done in a place where the concept had often been elusive. But Cáceres’ family and supporters haven’t been celebrating.
Weeks after the convictions were handed down, the Honduran government announced it was seeking $1 billion for the construction of 54 new hydroelectric projects all across the country. Bertita Isabel Zuniga, the daughter of Cáceres, said the announcement only energized their effort to make sure Castillo stood trial.
As his case has progressed, new lines of investigation opened up. It’s no longer just individuals like Castillo who are the focus of prosecutors: it’s the institutions that, investigators say, allowed and even encouraged the violence that killed Cáceres.
"tactic" - Google News
August 24, 2020 at 08:07PM
https://ift.tt/3aPtVVN
Family of a Murdered Activist See Defense Delay Tactic (Podcast) - Bloomberg
"tactic" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2NLbO9d
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Family of a Murdered Activist See Defense Delay Tactic (Podcast) - Bloomberg"
Post a Comment