Ex-Judge Zeballos Accuses Ex-Prosecutor Porras of Covering Up 'Suitcase Case' in Bolivia
Ex-judge Hebert Zeballos, speaking from a clinic, accused ex-prosecutor Julio César Porras of having been appointed to conceal the contents of the suitcases and of bribing a security guard.
Ex-Judge Zeballos Points to Ex-Prosecutor Porras as Cover-Up Architect in 'Suitcase Case'
From a clinic bed, ex-judge Hebert Zeballos levelled direct accusations against ex-anti-drug prosecutor Julio César Porras, according to reporting by El Deber. Zeballos questioned why Porras had given his statement in the so-called 'suitcase case' without being arrested.
"The former attorney general Róger Mariaca, alias 'El Chino', appointed him as investigator and coordinator of Controlled Substances specifically in this case, with the objective that the contents of the suitcases would not be discovered," Zeballos asserted. "He carried out the cover-up and was appointed so that the historical truth of the facts would not come to light," he added.
Zeballos also alleged that Porras had contacted a guard from his private security company to offer him money in exchange for implicating him in the case. "Prosecutor Julio César Porras made contact with him and offered him money so that I would be implicated," the ex-judge asserted.
Furthermore, he noted that only two days ago was he able to access the investigation file, despite having submitted multiple written petitions previously. "They never gave me information and flatly refused to allow me access to the investigation file; with this they have violated the right to a defence," he maintained.
Zeballos warned that he was concerned not only for his physical integrity but also for the safety of his family. "I ask for protection for myself, for my family and my loved ones," he said, and asserted that the delayed access to the file was an attempt to protect the "true architects of this entire network of narco-terrorists".
Source: El Deber