Paya case opens with 25 accused

[NewsWhore]

Eleven military personnel and fourteen civilians were accused yesterday of the crimes of drug trafficking and multiple murders, as a result of the murder of seven Colombians in an area known as Ojo de Agua, in the town of Paya in Peravia (Bani) province, in a case that the Justice Department says is linked to the to the theft of 1,300 kilograms of cocaine. The Judge of Instruction appointed to study the case files is Bartolo Castillo. Diario Libre reports that the prosecutors representing the state are Francisco Polanco, Bienvenido Fabian Melo and Dulce Maria Luciano from the National District, Peravia province prosecutor Roberto Lugo and his assistants Francis Valdez and Constantino Beltre, all of whom accepted a series of proofs and ordered the opening of the trial against the accused. They warned that there is sufficient proof, documents, materials and forensic evidence against the group. "With all certainty, we are going to prove that a quantity of drugs was introduced into the country on the night of 4 August 2008, and this was the essential cause of the murders." Polanco seemed to be sure that the Justice Department would prove its case. "We are absolutely convinced that the department will prove the facts at the opportune moment, when we reach trial." Leading the list of accused in the case files are Jose Luis Montas Vargas (El Duro Motors) and Luis Lara Martinez (El Churro), former Navy colonels Ricardo Guzman Perez and Miguel Pena Figuereo, former sergeant Antonio Manuel Roche Pineda (Quico), former captains Edward Mayobanex Rodriguez Montero (El Comando) and Jorge Luis Chalas, former major Jesus Sanchez Pina and former lieutenant Andres Tapia Balbuena.
Lara Martinez, Manuel Calvo and Jairo Rodriguez are said to be the people who coordinated the drug shipment on the ground. Others accused are the Nicaraguan survivor of the massacre, Orin Clinton Gomez Harfold, Colombian Rene Rueda Martinez or Andres Berroa Mercedes, alias "Frank el Capi or Venezuela", Freddy Manuel Encarnacion Quezada (Yeri), Victor Montas Perez, brother of "El Duro Motors", Tirson Antonio Gonzalez (Toro Bravo), Lara Martinez's driver Janeurys Manuel Calvo Tejada, Denisario Rodriguez Perez, Pedro Gonzalez Estevez (Chicho), Domingo Onesimo Marmolejos (El Ingeniero), Quilvio Santana Feliz (El Chivo), Joaquin Feliz Perez (Colorao), Noe Martin Sterling Villalon, the son of Barahona Senator Noe Sterling Vasquez, Alexander Restrepo Carmona, Augusto Alberto Deneris Andujar, Felix Mora Terrero and lawyer Jose Sime Cisneros
Former National Police major Frederick Guillermo Medina Abud, who is in jail in connection with the case, was left off this list by the prosecutors "because in reference to this accused, the investigation carried out objectively and carefully by the justice department did not find sufficient elements of proof that tie him with the events of Paya." They said that in the case of the former police officer, an illegal weapon was found during a search, and that is why he is awaiting trial.

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