translated from Spanish: Duarte’s complicit lawyers add to Maru Campos’ defense

Two lawyers who have defended accomplices from the millionaire detours of former governor César Duarte joined the legal team of María Eugenia Campos Galván, PAN’s candidate for the Chihuahua government, in the case where she is accused of having taken bribes from contractors being mayor of the state capital.
These are the litigants Francisco Martínez Valles and Iván Corral, who have been lawyers for Antonio Tarín and Gerardo Villegas, two former Duarte members linked to the process for their participation in “Operation Sapphire”, through which 250 million pesos were diverted to finance PRI campaigns.
Gerardo Villlegas was Director of Administration of the Chihuahua Ministry of Finance, while Tarín served as chairman of the State Government Procurement Committee. In 2017, as a federal deputy, the latter barricaded himself in San Lázaro to avoid being apprehended.
Francisco Molina Ruiz, who heads the legal team of the panista candidate, known as Maru Campos, confirmed to this medium that lawyers Martínez Valles and Corral participate in the defense at the express request of her client.
This Friday, the initial hearing of criminal case 3022/2020 was postponed again, at which Campos Galván is singled out of bribery and misuse of powers. The Prosecutor’s Office accuses that, as mayor of Chihuahua, the panista would have charged contracting companies monthly payments of more than 1.3 million pesos between 2017 and 2018. In addition, in the same period, it would have used a credit card belonging to a company in order to cover, month by month, personal expenses.
You may be interested | #ChihuahuaVerifica: Linking to Maru Campos’ process, impediment to being a candidate?
Maru Campos has already been linked to the process by another case known as the “secret payroll”, in which the PAN candidate for the gubernatura is accused of receiving bribes for 9 million pesos from former Governor César Duarte when she served as vice-coordinator of the PAN in the local Congress, prior to her time as mayor.
Attorney Molina Ruiz advocated the incorporation of lawyers who have defended Duarte’s former schoolers on the grounds that they are practicing their profession. In addition, she noted, the case in which they now work – the alleged “moches” charged by Campos Galván as mayor – is not related to that of the former governor’s “secret payroll.”
“The thing is, here in Chihuahua, there are few lawyers and the vast majority have dedicated the most to everything; there are lawyers who, as one, in the exercise of the profession, have to serve the client regardless of what the cause is, there is no limitation of professional order here beyond the intrinsic defense of the rights that each one corresponds to.
“I know a lot of lawyers who carry out matters of all kinds, including these related ones, I don’t think they have to demeritate anyone’s professional exercise, let alone here, in a matter that isn’t even related to that subject (Duarte’s payments),” he said in interview.
What we do at Animal Politics requires professional journalists, teamwork, dialogue with readers and something very important: independence. You can help us keep going. Be part of the team.
Subscribe to Animal Politics, receive benefits and support free journalism.#YoSoyAnimal

Original source in Spanish