DENIAL OF MOTIONS FILED BY ACCUSED LAINFIESTA RÍMOLA IN FRAIJANES CASE

Guatemala, March 15, 2012. Today, the Tenth Court of the First Criminal Instance denied the motion filed by businessman Rodrigo Lainfiesta Rímola—accused of laundering money and other assets and conspiracy to commit fraud under the Fraijanes II case—to lift the ne exeat order and the house arrest and to reduce the bail of GTQ19,000,000.00. The bail was imposed when the accused party was prosecuted.

Of the 19 million quetzales, Lainfiesta sought a 4 million reduction because of a bail bond. By doing so, 15 million quetzales would remain, which would be secured by a mortgaged property. Judge Walter Villatoro ruled that the motion was inapplicable because the damage caused to the State as a result of the inadequate renovation work at Fraijanes II had not yet been quantified. The judge ordered that Lainfiesta sign an attendance book once every month, rather than once every 15 days as had been the case previously.

Second dismissal
At the same hearing, the judge dismissed the motion filed by the accused to alter the charges of laundering of money and other assets and conspiracy to commit fraud. The judge argued that the motion should have been filed before the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) filed the indictment on October 10, 2010.

Following this ruling, the court must schedule a date and time to hold the pre-trial hearing to open oral arguments. An additional eight persons are linked to proceedings, including four comptrollers and Raúl Velásquez and Salvador Gándara (former ministers of the interior).

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