The case opened against a former Cuban vice prime minister for serious crimes continues to arouse natural interest in the island’s independent press.
HAVANA.-On October 31, after more than a year and a half of silence, the Cuban authorities finally disclosed some details about the criminal proceedings against Alejandro Gil Fernandez. Curiously, the Attorney General’s Office chose Halloween to offer an official note in which it exposes part of the accusation against the former official and other defendants whose names have not yet been revealed.
The official media limited themselves to reproducing that brief communication, accompanied by a short addition that reported that “the Supreme People’s Court filed a case in that instance against the accused.” In other words, the trial will take place before the Special Chamber of the highest judicial body, although without a defined date.
On this point, it is worth making a legal clarification: it could not have been announced yet. After the presentation of the tax accusation, it must be notified to the accused; Those who do not have a lawyer must appoint one. Then, the defenders will respond to the Prosecutor’s brief and propose their evidence. Only after that phase will the Court decide what evidence to admit and, then, set the day of the trial.
As is often the case in Cuba, the independent press has offered much broader coverage than the state media. Various portals have explored different aspects of the case. In CubaNet, for example, the position of the accused’s family was reviewed: ““Alejandro Gil will not recognize any crime and demands a public trial,” revealed his daughter.. An analysis entitled “Affair Gil, the perfect storm”.
And it is not surprising that the case arouses enormous interest. Unlike other senior leaders ousted in recent years—Carlos Lage, Roberto Robaina or Carlos Aldana—Gil not only fell politically: he now faces a full-fledged criminal process.
Another element that has surprised is the variety of crimes charged. What many saw at first as just another episode of administrative corruption became a much more complex file. To the usual charges in these cases—embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, influence peddling, money laundering—an extraordinarily serious one is added: espionage.
Here it is worth highlighting something: the Prosecutor’s Office note, which is too sparse, does not specify whether this crime of espionage falls specifically on Gil. It is mentioned that there are several accused and that they will all face different charges, but it is not clarified which ones correspond to the former deputy prime minister.
The statements of Laura María Gil González, daughter of the former official, have also generated attention. According to 14yMedioa few hours after learning of the espionage accusation, demanded transparency and a public and televised trial, open to the international and independent press. He asked directly: “What measures did he propose to the country by order of another State? What evidence do they have? What was his pseudonym?”
It is true that Laura María benefited for years from her father’s privileged status and even collaborated with the regime; does not escape his responsibility. But, at this point, he hasn’t abandoned it either. And that’s more than other relatives of fallen leaders can say. According to CiberCuba, her aunt—former television presenter María Victoria Gil, resident in Spain—declared that she felt “hurt and ashamed.” He even said: “If Alejandro Gil has been able to betray his principles, I will not hesitate to wish that the full weight of the law falls on him”…
To conclude, I would like to draw the readers’ attention to another legal aspect of the brief information provided by the regime. Numerous crimes are mentioned in the Prosecutor’s Office notice. To types of crimes that are not surprising in a context of alleged administrative corruption (such as embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, influence peddling and money laundering), espionage is also added…
Here I must draw attention to an important aspect: the Prosecutor’s Office notice does not state that the very serious accusation of espionage falls specifically on Mr. Gil. We know that there are several accused in the case (although the only one whose name appears is the former Deputy Prime Minister); Responsibility was requested for these various crimes, but it is not specified which of the latter are those charged to that only known defendant…
Could it be a deliberate trick or an omission perpetrated by simple inattention! It would be the last straw if the latter had happened in such an important and short text! But with “These People” one never knows… We will see later if the “spy” turns out to really be Gil Fernández or one of the other hitherto unknown defendants…
