Rolando Rodrich Sarango, director of the newspaper “Correo de Piura” is facing two legal actions. He is being accused of slander and defamation in actions filed against him by Piura Supreme Court President Gerardo Adán Soto Quiroz and by Soto Quiroz’s wife, Vilma Herrera de Soto. A little more than three weeks ago, “Correo de […]
Rolando Rodrich Sarango, director of the newspaper “Correo de Piura” is facing two legal actions. He is being accused of slander and defamation in actions filed against him by Piura Supreme Court President Gerardo Adán Soto Quiroz and by Soto Quiroz’s wife, Vilma Herrera de Soto.
A little more than three weeks ago, “Correo de Piura” started investigating the Piura-Tumbes District’s judiciary, which is headed by Magistrate Soto Quiroz of the Piura Supreme Court. As a result of “Correo de Piura”‘s investigations, the judiciary has been accused of a number of administrative irregularities. Members of the judiciary were accused of taking advantage of the position of Court president for illicit purposes, blackmailing the mayors of the Piura and Tumbes municipalities and districts in order to gain publicity for the Judicial Directorate in an internal publication, and abusing authority.
Rodrich Sarango is facing an order for his capture as a result of the charges filed against him by Herrera de Soto with the Piura Third Criminal Court. The accused submitted an appeal challenging the charges but Judge César Castillo Palacios declared the appeal inadmissable on a technicality because the necessary legal fees had not been paid. Nevertheless, Rodrich Sarango rectified the payment of fees on 23 November 1999.
In expectation that the matter of his appeal would be resolved, the “Correo de Piura” director did not submit a statement to the court responding to the charges. In response, Judge Castillo ordered that an attested copy of this statement should be submitted to him by 25 November.
The other charge Rodrich Sarango is facing was filed by Magistrate Soto Quiroz with the Fourth Criminal Court, presided by Judge Roger Reyes García. The accused has also challenged this legal action but thus far the judge has not responded to his appeal. However, similarly to the Third Court judge, Judge Reyes has ordered that an attested copy of Rodrich Sarango’s statement be submitted and that the accused not await the resolution of his appeal.
In both of his appeals, The “Correo” director has argued that there is no guarantee that due process will be followed because the provisional judges are dependent on the plaintiffs, the Supreme Court president and his wife. The accused further notes that if the judges fail to act according to proper procedure they could be dismissed, as has already been demonstrated in the investigations published by “Correo” in the last few weeks.
Rodrich Sarango is opposed to being tried by the appointed magistrates and has asked that both actions against him be examined by a regional District Judiciary, such as the one in Lambayeque. He could then be assured that the plaintiffs could not exercise undue influence on their subordinates.
The Piura and Tumbes Lawyers’ College and a number of civil organisations organised a protest march and a sit in at the Piura Justice Palace, demanding a fair and transparent judicial process.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– asking for an impartial judicial process
Appeals To
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
President of the Republic
Fax: +51 1 427 6722 / 426 6535
Alberto Bustamante Belaunde
President of the Council of Ministers
Fax: +51 1 447 1628 / 475 0689
Edgardo Mosqueira Medina
Minister of the Presidency
Fax: +51 222 3678
Miguel Aljovín Swayne
Attorney General
Fax: +51 1 426 2474
Víctor Raúl Castillo Castillo
President of the Peruvian Supreme Court
Fax: +51 1 428 0803
Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Ombudsman
Fax: +51 1 426 6657
Gerardo Adán Soto Quiroz
President of the Piura and Tumbes Supreme Court
Fax: +51 74 327 099 / 326 581
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
