Ecuador court orders 13 more years in prison for former VP Glas
Glas, 55, is currently in prison serving out convictions in two prior corruption cases and had been due for release in little under three years, but the latest sentence would extend his incarceration until 2041.
Carlos Bernal, a former official tasked with leading the reconstruction work in the western Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces, was also given 13 more years.
The court said it had applied the maximum possible sentence.
The funds for the reconstruction had been raised through taxes, and a judge in the case said there were indications Glas committed embezzlement by using funds earmarked for reconstruction for other unrelated projects.
Glas' lawyer argued there was no evidence of misappropriation of public funds for personal benefit or that of third parties, nor harm to the national treasury, and said the case is being used as a tool of political persecution.
Glas, who served as vice president under Rafael Correa from 2013 to 2017, was captured by Ecuadorean authorities following a raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito last year, which led to the severing of diplomatic ties between Ecuador and Mexico.
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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ecuador court orders 13 more years in prison for former VP Glas
QUITO (Reuters) -An Ecuadorean court on Monday sentenced former vice president Jorge Glas to 13 additional years in prison for misusing public funds allocated to rebuild areas affected by a devastating 2016 earthquake. Glas, 55, is currently in prison serving out convictions in two prior corruption cases and had been due for release in little under three years, but the latest sentence would extend his incarceration until 2041. Carlos Bernal, a former official tasked with leading the reconstruction work in the western Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces, was also given 13 more years. The court said it had applied the maximum possible sentence. The funds for the reconstruction had been raised through taxes, and a judge in the case said there were indications Glas committed embezzlement by using funds earmarked for reconstruction for other unrelated projects. Glas' lawyer argued there was no evidence of misappropriation of public funds for personal benefit or that of third parties, nor harm to the national treasury, and said the case is being used as a tool of political persecution. Glas, who served as vice president under Rafael Correa from 2013 to 2017, was captured by Ecuadorean authorities following a raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito last year, which led to the severing of diplomatic ties between Ecuador and Mexico.
San Francisco Chronicle
17 hours ago
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Former Ecuadorian vice president detained in embassy raid gets 13 years in prison
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The former vice president of Ecuador who was detained last year during a highly criticized police raid on Mexico's embassy in the South American country was sentenced Monday to 13 years in prison. Jorge Glas had been accused of misusing public funds intended for the reconstruction of two provinces affected by an earthquake in 2016. The quake devastated communities and killed hundreds of people. Glas became vice president in 2013, during the presidency of Rafael Correa, and was removed from that position in January 2018, when he was charged in a corruption case tied to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Judge Mercedes Caicedo said the funds for reconstruction efforts following the earthquake were allocated to 'useless, unusable and unnecessary buildings' disregarding the law, and above all, 'with complete disrespect for the victims.' The court also barred Glas from ever holding public office and fined him $28,800. Glas is already in a maximum-security prison serving time in two other corruption cases. He was detained in April 2024 when police stormed Mexico's embassy in Ecuador's capital, Quito, hours after he had been granted asylum. The embassy raid sparked outrage among world leaders, who criticized Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. Diplomatic premises are considered foreign soil and 'inviolable' under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and host country law enforcement agencies are not allowed to enter without the permission of the ambassador. Ecuador's government defended the arrest, arguing that Glas was a fugitive wanted in corruption cases, not for political reasons, and therefore was not eligible for Mexico's diplomatic protection. ____
Washington Post
17 hours ago
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Former Ecuadorian vice president detained in embassy raid gets 13 years in prison
QUITO, Ecuador — The former vice president of Ecuador who was detained last year during a highly criticized police raid on Mexico's embassy in the South American country was sentenced Monday to 13 years in prison. Jorge Glas had been accused of misusing public funds intended for the reconstruction of two provinces affected by an earthquake in 2016. The quake devastated communities and killed hundreds of people.
