The oral trial against the former president Pedro Castillo, Betssy Chavez, Aníbal Torres and other defendants is coming to an end. The judge and director of debates, Norma Carbajalreported that next Tuesday the 21st and Thursday the 23rd the former president and his former ministers will be interrogated as part of the judicial process for the alleged crime of rebellion after the attempted coup d’état in December 2022.
In the last hearing on Thursday the 16th of this month, the judge warned that, if the defense of the accused does not believe it is appropriate for their clients to testify, they will proceed in accordance with article 376.1 of the New Criminal Procedure Code (NCPP). This provision indicates the following: “If the accused refuses to testify in whole or in part, the judge will warn him that, even if he does not testify, the trial will continue, and his previous statements given before the Prosecutor’s Office will be read.”
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Furthermore, an important piece of information that the judge provided is that on Friday, October 24, the final arguments of the oral trial will begin, the final stage of the judicial process before a sentence is handed down.
In this last phase, the lawyers of the investigated and the prosecutors of the Public Ministry will have the words to present their final arguments and defense arguments.
After that, Castillo and the other defendants will be able to express their last words before the judges close the debate and begin to deliberate in a secret session, immediately and without interruption, their final decision. According to article 392 of NCPP, “the deliberation may not extend beyond two days, nor may it be suspended for more than three days in case of illness of the judge or of any of the judges of the Collegiate Court.”
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The Prosecutor’s Office has requested a 34-year prison sentence against Castillo Terrones, as well as disqualification from public service for a period of 3 years and 6 months. Meanwhile, civil compensation greater than S/64 million was also requested.
Pedro Castillo once again rejects the trial against him: “It is better that they impose all the crimes of the Penal Code on me”
During the hearing on September 26, the former president referred to the judges’ previous announcement about the possible inclusion of the crime of conspiracy to rebel in the process. Castle He considered that this new accusation is part of a strategy against him and, ironically, suggested that he be charged with all the crimes of the Penal Code “to save time.”
“The president of this room reads every day at the opening of this trial, where the accusations against me are made known. (…) We have had more than sixty sessions and it has not been possible to prove the crime of rebellion or others. This room has brought up another accusation that has even been rejected by thePublic Ministry.When I am proven otherwise, what other crime will be imposed on me? (…) To save time, it is better that they impose all the crimes of the Penal Code on me,” he said.
