FORMER MIGRATION OFFICIAL IMPRISONED FOR FORGING PASSPORTS

Guatemala, August 23, 2013. The Rota Court of the First Criminal Instance ruled to prosecute and remand in custody former official of the Passport Issuing Authorities of the General Directorate of Migration, Mirna María de Los Ángeles Rivas Gramajo. Rivas Gramajo is charged with allegedly having ties to an organization that forges passports and illegally transports persons.

At the initial appearance, the Court ruled to prosecute the accused on charges of criminal association, illegal transit of persons and falsification of facts. The investigations of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) and CICIG established that Rivas Gramajo authorized the issuance of Guatemalan passports to foreigners using fake documentation.

Rivas Gramajo was arrested by authorities on Friday, August 16, with the support of CICIG, at 11 Calle and 12 Avenida, Zone 1 (Guatemala City). The accused had worked as an assistant prosecutor at the Economic Crimes Unit as well as at the Unit of Women and Child Victims and the Anti-Drug Trafficking Unit of the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP). She currently was working as a legal advisor at the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman.

CICIG acts as a complementary prosecutor in these criminal proceedings.

Background
In this case, on August 14, the Third Court of the First Criminal Instance ruled to prosecute José Alberto de León Gramajo, Head of the passport delegation of the Passport Issuing Authorities of the General Directorate of Migration (DGM), and José Antonio Samayoa Cano, former representative of the Corporación Inmobiliaria La Luz, S.A (a company that was previously responsible for authorizing the manufacturing of passports). The Court also ordered that the pair be remanded in custody.

The investigation to dismantle the structure got underway with the arrest of two Colombian citizens, Jhon Alexander Cardona Salinas and Luis Alberto Valencia Duque, at the La Aurora International Airport on October 10, 2011. The pair were arrested after presenting false passports issued by the migration authorities.