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Despite being cited by the Supreme Court of Justice since last August 20 to the hearing in which he was to be accused this Monday for his alleged link to irregularities in the Odebrecht case, the former Bogotá comptroller and elected magistrate of the Judicial Discipline Commission, Juan Carlos Granados Becerra, He said that he did not have a lawyer to represent him in this judicial proceeding.
Since at 8:30 in the morning of this Monday the accusation hearing was to begin and start of judgement against him because allegedly, when he was a candidate for the governorship of Boyacá and when he achieved that position, between 2012 and 2015, he would have tried to benefit the multinational Odebrecht so that he was awarded the Duitama-Charalá-San Gil road work, in exchange for alleged sums of money.
That hearing was to be presided over by the magistrate Ariel Augusto Torres Rojas, and it was to be held with the other magistrates of the Special Trial Chamber in First Instance of the Supreme Court of Justice. There was even a link for its public transmission.
(Also read: Trial of an elected magistrate is postponed because it took power away from a lawyer)
However, before the hearing began it was known that Granados had sent a memorial to the Court on Friday in which he revoked the attorney’s power Darío Bazzani Montoya, who was going to represent him at the trial, and therefore asked that the hearing for the formulation of the accusation be postponed.
According to Granados told the Court, had failed to agree on fees de Bazzani to have his assistance as a lawyer in the judicial process, for which the power of attorney had been revoked.
High court sources indicated that Granados also asked the Court to give him some time to agree a new contract with Bazzani or to find a new lawyer, because you want to have a trusted advocate.
(Read the context: Newly elected to the Disciplinary Commission will go to trial this Monday)
Before the Granados memorial, the Court accepted this Monday its decision to revoke Bazzani’s power and postponed the accusation hearing, because as he did not have a defender, the proceedings could not be carried out against him, and he has the right to have a trusted lawyer.
However, as EL TIEMPO learned, the high court He warned Granados that he must choose a trusted lawyer in a “reasonable time” to represent him since, if he does not do so, the Trial Chamber in First Instance will assign him a public defender to be able to continue with the trial against him.
And it is striking that although Granados knew since last August 20 that this hearing was scheduled, more than three and a half months later he appears saying that he does not have a lawyer to represent him for not reaching an agreement on payment.
It is striking that although Granados knew since last August 20 that he had this hearing scheduled, more than three and a half months later he appears saying that he does not have a lawyer to represent him
If the prosecution hearing and the start of the trial are not held before December 20 -when the judicial vacancy begins-, will be scheduled for after January 10 of next year, when those collective vacations of the Judicial Branch end.
(Also read: The Attorney General’s Office cited the version of magistrate-elect Granados by Odebrecht).
Just one day later On January 11, 2021, Granados’ eight-year term as magistrate of the National Commission for Judicial Discipline begins, a position for which he was elected by Congress last week with an overwhelming vote, after being nominated by President Iván Duque.
In fact, his new situation as a magistrate has led some to argue that it is possible that he later alleges that, having jurisdiction as a togado, your case must first go through the House Indictment Committee of Representatives instead of remaining in the Supreme Court of Justice.
In an interview with Yamid Amat, for EL TIEMPO, in addition to stating that he is innocent, Granados assured that the consideration that his case goes to the Chamber’s Accusations Commission is not his, and indicated that he will go to the instance that requires it.
Was it a delaying maneuver?
For the lawyer Francisco Bernate, president of the Colombian Criminal Lawyers Association, what happened with Granados is not necessarily a delay.
“Anyone has the right to be with the lawyer that generates confidence. However, that trust is not broken overnight, that could have been done in advance,” said Bernate.
The criminal lawyer also spoke of two key points as a result of the case of the elected magistrate Juan Carlos Granados. First, there are dozens of lawyers “who are covered in paper, who are being investigated precisely for doing that,” so there are risks that different standards are applied when evaluating the processes.
On the other hand, Bernate assured that when Granados assumes a position of judicial surveillance, he is called to set an example.
Read other Justice news:
-Why did the Court drop the energy surcharge for strata 4, 5 and 6?
-Who is the Spanish citizen kidnapped in Cauca?
-The goblins who used prisoners to ‘do witchcraft’ from prisons
JUSTICE DRAFTING
Twitter: @JusticiaET
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