El Ciudadano
Original article: Unanimidad en la comisión: aprueban acusación constitucional contra Simpertigue y tildan de “chantas” los documentos de la defensa
Unanimous Approval of Constitutional Charges Against Simpertigue as Defense Documents Dismissed as «Shoddy»
The reviewing committee of the Chamber of Deputies unanimously ratified the constitutional accusation (AC) against suspended Supreme Court minister Diego Simpertigue on Thursday.
According to Radio Biobío, this decision followed a careful review of the documents submitted by the defense, which were labeled as «shoddy» by lawmakers from various parties.
The process, which had to be repeated after the annulment of Wednesday’s vote, concluded with the same result: four votes in favor and none against.
Those voting in favor included parliamentarians Cosme Mellado (PR), Álvaro Carter (Republican), Marco Antonio Sulantay (UDI), and Maite Orsini (FA), while Mónica Arce (Indep-DC) did not participate.
Orsini, who chairs the committee, explained that the repeat was due to the receipt of new evidence from the secretariat, allegedly showing that Simpertigue reimbursed lawyer Mario Vargas for one of the controversial cruise trips taken alongside fellow lawyer Eduardo Lagos.
Both Vargas and Lagos are currently in preventive detention at the Captain Yáber Annex due to their connections with the «Bielorrussian Doll Case.»
After a thorough analysis, the deputy stated that the documents contained «evident inconsistencies» and deemed them «completely irrelevant.»
Furthermore, she expressed hope for a «decisive» vote in the Chamber.
«I feel that the vote should not change significantly whether it happens today or on Monday. I expect this vote to be quite decisive,» she emphasized, as reported by Bio Bío Chile.
Devastating Criticism of Defense Evidence
Deputy Orsini was unequivocal in dismissing the evidential value of the new documents. «In the statement of account, there is a payment to a company named Lan Chile, which hasn’t existed for more than a decade. This allowed me to rule out that it was a valid payment for tickets,» she stated, noting that these documents were «completely irrelevant» for the case analysis.
When asked about a possible delaying strategy from the defense to postpone the vote in the Chamber until after the presidential runoff, Orsini dismissed the notion that changing the date would affect the outcome.
«I feel that the vote should not change significantly whether it happens today or on Monday. I expect this vote to be quite decisive,» she concluded in statements reported by the aforementioned media.
Manouchehri on the “Shoddy” Documents Submitted by Simpertigue’s Defense
From the ruling party, criticisms were even harsher. Socialist deputy Daniel Manouchehri unequivocally condemned the presented documents.
«What the defense submitted is among the shoddiest I’ve seen in this Congress,» he asserted.
Manouchehri elaborated on the main issue, relating to the investigation into alleged bribes in the «Bielorrussian Doll» scheme.
«He was asked to demonstrate that the ticket purchased by Mr. Lagos, who is currently in preventive detention for allegedly bribing a judge (Ángela Vivanco), involved in the same case as Mr. Simpertigue, had that money refunded,» he noted.
«And when he was asked to submit receipts, today he sent anything but the receipts showing he reimbursed the money to Mr. Simpertigue,» he said, directly addressing the minister’s defense.
It is worth remembering that Manouchehri, together with socialist deputy Daniella Cicardini, issued a statement directly questioning the actions of the reviewing committee.
Proceeding to the Chamber
With the committee process completed, the case now moves to its decisive phase. Reports indicate that the Chamber of Deputies will convene on Monday, December 15, at 2:00 PM to vote on the constitutional accusation aimed at removing Simpertigue from his post as minister of the Supreme Court.
The vote comes amid intense institutional pressure, given that Simpertigue was suspended for two months by the Supreme Court last Friday, a measure taken in connection with the investigation into his potential involvement in the so-called «Bielorrussian network,» which centers on alleged acts of corruption within the Judiciary that have reportedly caused significant economic harm to state-owned company Codelco.
Monday’s vote will determine whether Congress supports the accusation and sends the case to the Senate, which would act as the political jury in a removal process.
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