COURT SENTENCES TWO KIDNAPPERS TO 31 YEARS IN PRISON

Guatemala, September 19, 2012. This afternoon, Court B of the First Criminal Instance for High-risk matters sentenced Fredy Herald De León Barrios and Martín García González to 31 years in prison. Both parties were sentenced on charges of criminal association (6 years) and kidnapping (25 years) three persons in the department of Retalhuleu on November 21, 2009.

The court found enough evidence against these two individuals to accuse them of kidnapping Ramón Enrique Cardillo Cigarroa, Edgar René Cardillo Chávez and Ramón Enrique Cardillo Calderón whilst they were travelling in two vehicles on November 21, 2009.

The judges of the court, in their ruling, accepted as evidence the ten statements rendered as early evidence and the material and documentary evidence offered during the oral proceedings. Two events related to the kidnapping were proven: firstly, the victims were captured when the vehicle of the two accused parties (who were accompanied by two other physical perpetrators) intercepted the two vehicles in which they were travelling; secondly, the authorities were immediately informed of the acts and the two parties were arrested in flagrante.

The court also accepted as evidence the statements given by three expert witnesses who had assessed information found on telephones and studied wiretaps. This made it possible to prove the kidnappers' participation in a criminal association and that they carried out the kidnappings in consultation on November 21, 2009.

The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) acts as a complementary prosecutor in this criminal proceeding.