(PFC/IFEX) – On 6 August 2003, Attorney General Carlos De León denied that an assistant public attorney had provided information to “Siglo XXI” newspaper concerning negotiations between the Public Prosecutor’s Office and one of the individuals allegedly involved in a million-dollar fraudulent scheme at the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (Instituto Guatemalteco del Seguro Social, IGSS). […]
(PFC/IFEX) – On 6 August 2003, Attorney General Carlos De León denied that an assistant public attorney had provided information to “Siglo XXI” newspaper concerning negotiations between the Public Prosecutor’s Office and one of the individuals allegedly involved in a million-dollar fraudulent scheme at the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (Instituto Guatemalteco del Seguro Social, IGSS). De León claimed that “Siglo XXI” had lied and falsely attributed statements to Attorney María del Carmen Estrada. The attorney general said Estrada plans to take legal action against the newspaper.
De León was referring to a 5 August “Siglo XXI” article entitled, “MP negocia con Gustavo Herrera” (“The Public Prosecutor’s Office negotiates with Gustavo Herrera”). In the article, Estrada was quoted as saying that the Public Prosecutor’s Office was negotiating with Herrera, who is in hiding, and had offered him the possibility of an expedited trial.
In response to the attorney general’s accusations, “Siglo XXI” said it never claimed to have interviewed Estrada. Rather, the newspaper was reporting on statements made by Estrada during a taped phone interview with an Emisoras Unidas journalist. Both the Emisoras Unidas radio network and “Siglo XXI” claim to have a copy of the recording, and “Siglo XXI” has offered to share the recording with anyone who expresses an interest.
In a letter to De León, PFC protested his harassment of “Siglo XXI”, calling it “an attack on press freedom and the right to access information.”
For PFC’s letter to De León and additional information on the case, see:
http://www.portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/118.html
