Following the publication by a journalist from this medium about the friendship between the judge of the First Investigating Court of the National District, Raymundo Mejia and the lawyer and first substitute Ombudsman, Robert Quirozthe defense bar reacted by assuring that they had been handling the information.
“We will challenge him because two drinking companions must continue in that together, never be a judge and a party in the same process,” said Bunel Ramírez Merán, lawyer for Colonel Ysabelita de los Santos.
You could read: Judge in ombudsman case would meet conditions to be challenged
Investigations by this medium managed to obtain a publication on the magistrate’s Twitter account Raymond Mejía dated August 11, 2013, in which the friendship relationship of years between the two is confirmed.
“Sharing a drink with Prof. Quiroz is priceless”, tweeted Mejia on that occasion.
In the same order, Ramírez Meran assured that at the hearing held they asked for the inhibition of the judge but this was not done. alleging supposedly that “if there is, there is and if there isn’t, there isn’t.”
“At the hearing on November 21, the defense of Colonel yasabelita de los Santos, had obtained information about the friendship of Judge Raymundo Mejía and the alternate Ombudsman and lawyer in the process, Roberto Quiroz, we asked him to disqualify himself and he did not do so, alleging that he is a judge who “if there is, there is and if there isn’t, there isn’t». Until that moment we understood prudent not to challenge him, now we have no choice, “said the lawyer.
Read: Judge warns next hearing is “with or without defense of accused”
other indications
Other indications in accordance with Article 78 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Dominican Republic that would lead to the recusal of the judge, is the publication of two tweets dated January 28, 2021, in which Judge Mejía qualifies Roberto Quiroz as a ” excellent professional”.
«Interview with Roberto Carlos Quiroz Canela | Special Commission for the Ombudsman (…) Excellent professional and extraordinary human being”, tweeted Judge Raymundo Mejía.
Another reference that describes the closeness of Judge Mejía and the lawyer Quiroz is the shared authorship of the book “Destreza de la Litigación Penal” registered in 2012 under ISBN 978-9945-00-525-7.
Also, they would have been colleagues for several years in the National Public Defense Office.
In that order, numeral 8 of Article 78 of the Criminal Procedure Code cites the following: “Having a friendship that is manifested by great familiarity or frequency of dealing with any of the parties and interveners.”
You can read: Haitians in the DR ask to stop mass deportations
The hearing in which the magistrate will be challenged is scheduled for one in the afternoon today as part of the case in which Colonel Ysabelita de los Santos along with other officers of the General Directorate of Transit and Land Transportation (Digesett) would have attacked the Ombudsman, Pablo Ulloa and members of the press, upon entering the Vehicle Retention Center facilities known as “El Coco Dog Track” last April without prior notification.
Defendants
In addition to the person in charge of the “Canódromo”, Ysabelita de los Santos, Geraldina de los Santos Peña, Marisol Vargas, Natanael Javier, Starling Ramírez, Ronny Recio Rosario and Carlos Oliver Vólquez Paulino have been identified.
