CHARGES AND PRE-TRIAL DETENTION UPHELD AGAINST MARÍA DEL ROSARIO MELGAR MARTÍNEZ

Guatemala, December 5, 2012. Today, the judge of the Ninth Court of the First Instance for Criminal Matters, Drug Trafficking and Crimes against the Environment dismissed the application made by the defense and María del Rosario Melgar Martínez to alter charges of murder and criminal association. An application to review the custody measure was also rejected on the grounds that there was no new evidence available in the investigation into the death of former Ministry of the Interior advisor Víctor Rivera that would support the notion that the accused had not participated in events. Melgar Martínez continues to be linked to proceedings and remanded in custody on charges of murder and criminal association.

BACKGROUND:
On April 7, 2008, at approximately 23.00 hours, former Ministry of the Interior advisor Víctor José Rivera Azuaje was murdered whilst travelling along Bulevard Vista Hermosa (Guatemala City) in the company of María del Rosario Melgar Martínez. The investigation was opened at the Prosecutor's Bureau for Crimes against Life under the direction of former prosecutor Álvaro Matus, who was later removed due to irregularities in the direction and handling of the case. Today, the former prosecutor is also under investigation and has an indictment against him.

At the initial appearance on October 31, the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) and CICIG offered a variety of evidence to justify the accusation filed against the accused party, where it is stated that the accused party is an alleged accomplice to the murder of the former advisor. The judge ruled there to be sufficient evidence to assume that Melgar Martínez formed part of a criminal organization led by Jorge Mario Paredes Córdoba and that she was involved in the murder of her former boss.

María del Rosario Melgar Martínez was arrested in Guatemala City airport following her deportation from the US. Since 2011 she has been the subject of an international arrest warrant.