Through a statement to the public, the defense lawyer of the former first manager of Cesar, Cielo María Gnecco Cerchar, José Luis Barceló Camacho, stated that the “resolution that ordered the revocation of the preventive detention measure that was had been uttered against him strictly conforms to the legal guidelines as a product of an adequate and objective assessment of the evidence in the file.”
He clarified that the measure does not go against what the law indicates and shows the ‘absolute innocence’ of Gnecco Cerchar, in the face of crimes considered against humanity for alleged kidnapping for ransom, homicide of a protected person and aggravated conspiracy to commit a crime, for those who are accused.
The defense lawyer added that regarding the investigation that will be carried out by the prosecutor who announced the decision, for her part “she will carry out her work to corroborate and ratify legally, juridically, and evidentiarily that Gnecco Cerchar is unrelated to the crimes charged.”
As will be recalled, the Fifth Specialized Prosecutor before the Criminal Judges of the Specialized Circuit of Valledupar, Nancy del Carmen Martínez Iglesias, through an order dated October 30, 2023, favorably resolved the request made by the defense of the former first manager of the Cesar department, who requested to revoke the security measure imposed against him by the Third Delegate Prosecutor before the Superior Court of Valledupar, Alberto Ramírez Parra.
“There is no evidence that reveals that the behavior of the defendant Cielo María Gnecco Cerchiaro has allegedly been aimed at diverting the investigation and manipulating witnesses, nor does Julio Manuel Argumedo García, alias “Gabino”, even implicitly suggest it and ratify it. Luis Francisco Robles Mendoza alias 61 (sic), reads the ruling issued by prosecutor Martínez Iglesia.
The Prosecutor argued that it was not necessary to impose a measure as burdensome as a security measure against the defendant, since Gnecco Cerchar had appeared at the calls of justice during this process, has strong roots in the community, and could continue being processed without needing to be deprived of liberty.
In this regard, the director of the Cesar Prosecutor’s Office, Jesús Ardila, reported possible irregularities and excesses that the Fifth Specialized Prosecutor had incurred before the Criminal Judges of the Specialized Circuit of Valledupar, for which he certified copies to the Specialized Directorate against the Corruption to investigate the official’s actions.
Thus, the Attorney General’s Office ruled on the matter through a statement in which it autonomously clarified and in what would be an obvious lack of knowledge of its powers, the fifth prosecutor revoked the measure of assurance of custodial detention. freedom and canceled the arrest warrant against Mrs. Cielo María Gnecco Cerchiaro.
The Attorney General of the Nation, Francisco Barboza, stated that it was a decision that the prosecutor made without consultation, and in that sense, since he requested the investigation from that official and the process was immediately reassigned to the National Directorate of Human Rights. .
“No one is going to go above the law and finally any official who commits irregularities will have to respond to justice. We immediately contacted the director of the Prosecutor’s Office in Cesar, who also reported on this measure and the country can rest assured that the hierarchy of the Prosecutor’s Office has not been lost,” the prosecutor explained.
He reiterated that the National Police and the Prosecutor’s Office are searching for Cielo Gnecco, a process that is being worked on by the leadership of the entity that will not allow irregularities on the part of prosecutors who have independence in their decisions, but are also subject to the Constitution and the law.