LAWYER LINKED TO ILLEGAL ADOPTIONS ARRESTED

Guatemala, April 08, 2011. The lawyer Alma Beatriz Valle Flores, accused of being involved in illegal adoption procedures, was arrested on April 6 after the Third Court of Criminal Appeals revoked the alternative measures and ordered the Fourth Trial Court to issue an arrest warrant. The arrest was made at a building located on the corner of 19 Avenida and 3 Calle in Zone 1 of Guatemala City.

In the ruling of the Chamber, the judges stated that the decision to revoke the alternative measures previously awarded to Valle Flores de Mejía was based on an "imminent risk of flight". The accused is being prosecuted by the Fourth Trial Court on charges of criminal association, human trafficking and use of false documents.

The accused had a charge of criminal association added by the Fourth Trial Court on March 29, at the behest of the Special Prosecutor's Unit of the MP to Support CICIG (UEFAC). This Unit established that the lawyer, an alleged member of a criminal organization, had authorized a number of documents in an illegal adoption case of a minor.

The accused had been released after Judge Rocael Girón granted her house arrest and set bail. The Judge was in charge of the Fourth Trial Court at the time of Valle Flores de Mejía's initial appearance.

The arrest was conducted by the National Civil Police (PNC), in conjunction with prosecutors of the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP), at the aforementioned location, where IT equipment was being stored.

In the present case, nine other people have been prosecuted for their alleged involvement in illegal adoptions.