Judge sentences Douglas Cerros to 12 years in prison and confiscates truck

The Nicaraguan Douglas Alfredo Cerros Lanzas, 53, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the alleged crimes of conspiracy and spreading false news. The sentence was imposed by the judge Veronica Fiallos Moncadaof the Ocotal Criminal District Court, who also ordered the confiscation of a Hilux van owned by the defendant’s wife.

According to the judicial notification document, sent this Friday, February 11, the judge imposed a sentence of eight years “for the crime of undermining national integrity (conspiracy)”, and another of four years “for the crime of spreading news false through information and communication technologies”.

Both alleged crimes are contained in the “cybercrime” and “sovereignty” laws, approved at the end of 2020 and used by the regime to imprison opposition leaders.

The trial against Cerros took place last Thursday, January 27 and lasted more than ten hours. The main witness of the Prosecutor’s Office was the head of the Ocotal Judicial Assistance Directorate, Deputy Commissioner Bayron Mauricio Maradiaga Rubio, who accused him —without evidence— of “undermining national integrity.”

Maradiaga declared that he investigated and denounced the citizen because “they told him” that he was promoting the “no vote” in the 2021 presidential elections. Without any evidence, Maradiaga affirmed that, in addition, “he was told” that the accused allegedly participated in meetings of opposition groups.

van impound

According to the judicial notification document, Fiallos Moncada ordered the confiscation of the assets seized from Cerros Lanzas: a Toyota Hilux model van and a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone.

According to the judge, the defense “could not prove” that the van is owned by the defendant’s wife, Clelia Espinoza.

In an interview with CONFIDENTIAL Y This week, Espinoza reported that “(Deputy Commissioner) Bayron Maradiaga argues that the truck was used to deliver food to the roadblocks in 2018, but it is a lie because the truck was purchased only last year. We still owe part of it to the bank, there are the vouchers”.

“I don’t think that (judge) Verónica Fiallos lends herself to so much (confiscate the van). It would be the height of the scoundrel, to steal things, ”said the wife.

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