Guatemala39s Supreme Court orders the release of the former anti corruption

Guatemala's Supreme Court orders the release of the former anti-corruption prosecutor

Guatemala's Supreme Court ordered the release of former anti-corruption prosecutor Virginia Laparra, who was sentenced to four years in prison in December 2022 for abuse of office after a trial denounced by human rights organizations.

According to the decision of the court's criminal chamber, reported by the media and confirmed to AFP by Ms Laparra's lawyers, the judiciary has five days to comply.

The decision takes into account the fact that Ms. Laparra has already served more than half of her sentence, taking into account her ten months in prison before her sentencing on December 16, 2022.

Ms. Laparra, 43, was arrested in February 2022 as part of a crackdown on anti-corruption prosecutors and was head of the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI, Anti-Corruption) in Quetzaltenango (West) Department.

His conviction was criticized by the United States and the European Union, as well as Amnesty International and other human rights organizations.

Ms. Laparra faces a second trial in Quetzaltenango for publishing confidential information, but no opening date has been set as prosecutors seek to change the judge in charge of the case. Case that granted him placement under house arrest July.

However, the former prosecutor remained in prison, in a military barracks in the capital.

As part of the crackdown on anti-corruption prosecutors, a former representative of the UN Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) was also arrested.

Created in 2007, CICIG sparked a fraud and corruption scandal in the customs authorities in 2015, which led to the resignation of then President Otto Pérez (2012-2015), accused of being the instigator and beneficiary of embezzlement.

The crackdown on anti-corruption law enforcement was led by Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who was placed on Washington's “corrupt actors” list in 2021 for “repeatedly obstructing and undermining anti-corruption investigations in Guatemala to benefit his political allies.” “to protect and unlawfully obtain political favors,” according to the US State Department.

Ms Porras' office is now also accused by Washington of “undermining democracy” for denouncing last August's presidential election, won by opposition candidate Benardo Arévalo, and launching an investigation into alleged anomalies.

The public prosecutor's office also requested the cancellation of his mandate as deputy and requested the dissolution of his political party.

Mr. Arévalo, who was elected on a promise to fight corruption and will take office on January 14, denounced a “coup d'etat” that he said was orchestrated by the country's “corrupt” political elite.

Guatemala ranks 30th on Transparency International's list of the 180 most corrupt countries.