Bolivia removes general prosecutor Roger Mariaca, detained on suspected drug-trafficking links
Bolivia's Legislative Assembly removed general prosecutor Roger Mariaca, who has been detained since 1 October. José Armando Urioste was appointed interim prosecutor.
Bolivian Assembly separates general prosecutor accused of protecting drug trafficking
Bolivia's Legislative Assembly permanently removed the general prosecutor of the State, Roger Mariaca, who remains detained whilst facing accusations of having provided protection to organisations linked to drug trafficking, according to libertad-oaxaca.info.
Lawyer José Armando Urioste was elected as new interim general prosecutor with the backing of more than two-thirds of the legislators present, according to confirmation from the president of the Senate, Diego Ávila.
Legal amendment as a preliminary step
Before proceeding with the removal, the Assembly amended the Organic Law of the Public Ministry to incorporate a mechanism enabling the permanent suspension of the general prosecutor when formally charged or subject to a precautionary measure for offences punishable by imprisonment.
With that amendment approved, the legislators proceeded to separate Mariaca from office. The session began near midnight on Friday and continued for several hours.
Five rounds of voting to choose the successor
After analysing the candidacies presented by the various parliamentary forces, the Assembly held approximately five votes among three candidates. Urioste ultimately obtained the majority required to take on the temporary leadership of the Public Ministry.
His temporary mandate will continue whilst the process is defined, in accordance with Bolivian legal framework, for appointing the permanent head of the institution.
Detention on 1 October in Santa Cruz
Mariaca was detained on 1 October in the department of Santa Cruz, in the east of the country. Bolivian authorities accuse him of having used his position at the head of the Public Ministry to favour activities of organisations dedicated to drug trafficking.
The accusations form part of an ongoing investigation and must be determined by the competent judicial authorities.
Government speaks of "criminal organisation" within the Public Ministry
The Bolivian Government went further in its allegations. The Minister of Government, Marco Antonio Oviedo, stated that during Friday night and the early hours of Saturday a structure was dismantled—according to the official version—that operated within justice institutions and the administration of the Public Ministry.
According to Oviedo, this organisation would have provided protection to so-called "narco-terrorism" in the country and would have been headed by Mariaca. These assertions correspond to the position of the Bolivian Government and must be substantiated in the corresponding judicial process.
Urioste assumes temporary leadership of the Public Ministry
With the removal completed, Urioste was appointed as interim head of the Public Ministry. Mariaca's permanent separation represents a new episode within the investigation involving the General Prosecutor's Office and which has generated allegations of a possible infiltration of networks linked to drug trafficking in institutions responsible for administering justice.
Mariaca maintains his status as a person under investigation. The judicial process will determine the responsibilities that correspond to him.
Source: Google News BO — Crime