:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/L5HBL55JZNESZDAZMMBMFWQOJE.jpeg "Plaga Case in Ecuador: The Prosecutor’s Office requested preventive detention for 13 of the 14 prosecuted for organized crime")
Hearing to Formulate Charges in the Plaga Case
A new and significant case has emerged in the Ecuadorian judicial system, known as the Plaga case. This investigation focuses on former public officials, police officers, practicing lawyers, secretaries, and judges from various provinces in Ecuador who are alleged to have engaged in illegal activities to facilitate the release of sentenced individuals in exchange for money or favors, as reported by the Public Ministry.
The hearing to formulate charges in the Plaga case took place recently, lasting well into the early hours of the morning. Judge Wiler Choez presided over the proceedings and responded to the requests of the Prosecutor’s Office, including linking the defendants to the case and ordering preventive detention for 13 individuals. For one female suspect who is pregnant, the Public Ministry requested a travel ban and periodic appearances before a judge. The judge is set to make a decision on this matter later on.
The 14 detainees involved in the Plaga case operated in several provinces across Ecuador. The hearing was held at the North Judicial Complex in Quito, with the defendants’ lawyers participating virtually from the provinces where they were detained. Some of those arrested are already facing prosecution in other corruption cases, such as Judge Ángel Lindao Vera, who is being investigated in the Metastasis case.
During the hearing, the defendants’ lawyers raised concerns about possible irregularities in the arrests, but Judge Choez deemed the arrests to be legal and allowed the Prosecutor’s Office to proceed with the organized crime case against them. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the criminal group allegedly recruited prisoners from various penitentiaries to extort money from them in exchange for managing illegal constitutional actions.
The evidence in the Plaga case includes thousands of messages extracted from a suspect’s phone, as well as reports from the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit showing money transfers connected to illicit activities. The Prosecutor’s Office has requested preventive detention for most defendants and additional measures for one due to pregnancy status.
Prosecutor Hernán Flores is leading the investigation, aiming to combat the corruption that has infiltrated the justice system. Attorney General Diana Salazar emphasized the importance of continuing the purge to eliminate these criminal networks operating within the state institutions. This case marks the third major investigation into organized crime networks within the justice system, highlighting the troubling connections between drug trafficking, justice, and politics in Ecuador.