On September 20, 2013 the Second Criminal Court in Esmeraldas accepted an action for slander that a former judge Ivonne Boada Ortiz presented against Diario la Verdad and four members of its board of directors. Boada also requested financial reparation of US$30 million. The criminal action was presented against Diario La Verdad, and against Mario […]
On September 20, 2013 the Second Criminal Court in Esmeraldas accepted an action for slander that a former judge Ivonne Boada Ortiz presented against Diario la Verdad and four members of its board of directors. Boada also requested financial reparation of US$30 million.
The criminal action was presented against Diario La Verdad, and against Mario Gutiérrez, president and legal representative of the newspaper; Nathaly Ibarra, manager; Saúl Ibarra, editor and Rodrigo Jácome, director.
The action is connected to the publication of the article “Fugitives that escaped from La Roca were hiding in Colombia” on April 20, 2013. The piece was about the capture of César Vernaza Quiñónez ‘El Empresario’, one of the most wanted men who escaped from La Roca maximum security prison. Judge Boada had been part of the tribunal that reviewed his sentence.
Boada claims, in the court action, that “in a slanderous fashion, in Diario La Verdad (…) Mr. Saulo Ibarra Leones, alongs with Dr. Mario Gutiérrez Moya, Nathaly Ibarra Bustos, Saúl Ibarra Leones and Rodrigo Jácome (…) published an article (…) in which, among other things, the journalist stated that ‘Serrano presented a claim against Judge Ivonne Boada, who acted as a connection between Vernaza and Valdez in their attempt to bribe the judge. He explained that he had presented a claim to the Council of the Judiciary to sanction and dismiss Judge Boada”.
In her action, Boada referred to alleged statements by the Ministry of the Interior, José Serrano on the escaped prisoner and other issues.
Boada alleges that the publication affected her rights due to the false accusations that she committed a crime, which also affects also her rights to honor and dignity, and is demanding an reparations from the paper.
