(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) – On 20 August 2002, the trial on the assassination of journalist Ricardo Gangeme began. Gangeme was shot in the head and killed on 13 May 1999. He was the editor of the weekly “El Informador Chubutense”, in Trelew, Chubut province, in which he had published scathing reports on local corruption. In November 1999, […]
(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) – On 20 August 2002, the trial on the assassination of journalist Ricardo Gangeme began. Gangeme was shot in the head and killed on 13 May 1999. He was the editor of the weekly “El Informador Chubutense”, in Trelew, Chubut province, in which he had published scathing reports on local corruption.
In November 1999, after a six-month investigation, Florencio Minatta, the judge in charge of Preliminary Court Number II in Trelew, ordered the preventive detention of six people. According to the reasoning behind the judge’s sentencing, the most valid hypothesis was that the journalist was killed because of investigations he had undertaken for the weekly. While working on his last few issues, Gangeme published information on irregularities in three ongoing legal suits against the directors of Trelew Electrical Cooperative (Cooperativa Eléctrica de Trelew). The irregularities occurred when the cooperative purchased supplies from a company named Corralon Fernandes, a company owned by businessman Héctor Fernandes.
Three of the accused were released because there was not enough evidence against them. The other three who were brought to stand trial were Osvaldo Viti, identified as the instigator of the crime, Gustavo Fabián Schmitd, the perpetrator of the crime, and Alejandro Fabián, the person who supplied the gun used to murder Gangeme.
The hearing began amidst suspicion about several aspects of the investigation. The local press and the victim’s son, Pablo Gangeme, told PERIODISTAS that severe doubts exist as to the authenticity of several photographs included in the forensic evidence. They also recalled that Fernandes was found guilty of threatening Gangeme five days before his death. “This verdict was included in the records for Gangeme’s case, but Fernandes was never called to testify,” noted Alejandro Vecchi, Gangeme’s son’s legal representative.
In May 2002, members of the First Criminal Court (Primera Cámara del Crimen) also received a threatening call.
At the end of 2001, specialists at the Balseiro Institute tried to ascertain if the bullet in the police’s possession was the one that caused Gangeme’s death. The institute stated that the evidence from Gangeme’s skull was too small to reach a conclusion. However, another expert disagreed with this statement, having seen the evidence extracted during the second autopsy, in September 2001, in Buenos Aires. This leads one to believe that perhaps some of the evidence disappeared and led to Gangeme’s son taking legal action that called for a reinvestigation.
Recommended Action
Send letters of support to:
Pablo Gangeme
Tel: +54 4863 8938 / 54 4338 6641
E-mail: comisioninvestigadoracasogangeme@yahoo.com.ar
– expressing hope that the crime will be solved and those responsible will be punished
With copies to:
Trelew First Criminal Court
President Juan Ángel Di Nardo
Secretary Leonardo Pitcovsky
Tel: +54 2965 42 7117
Please also copy letters of support to the source if possible.
