The judges of the First Criminal Judgment of Alta Verapaz were denounced for allegedly using the facilities of the Judicial Agency (OJ) for meetings in which liquor was consumed and quarrels were recorded on Wednesday, April 2, judicial sources.
These are judges William Arturo Chen, José Alfredo Quiñónez, Walter Fabricio Rosales Hernández and Luis Alejandro Paniagua, who appeared before a judicial disciplinary board, where they presented their arguments and declared several witnesses.
The events would have occurred in 2023.
In addition, it was reported that a child under 15 was located in the office of Judge Walter Fabricio Rosales, a fact that could have criminal implications.
The lawyer Cindy García, supervisor of the general supervision of courts, said that the process began at the request of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), due to the existence of several indications of disciplinary offenses.
He added that Alta Verapaz was sent to a group of investigators to determine what was happening and, after detecting irregularities, a complaint was filed before the general supervision of courts.
The judges are indicated to use the court facilities for the consumption of alcoholic beverages; In addition, it was indicated that the wife of one of them entered the place to ingest liquor and starred scandals.
In the accusations, it is mentioned that the consumption of liquor, both in the court and in surrounding businesses, occurred during working hours, which constitutes a serious offense to the regulation.
They were meetings that supported the court during working hours and in which foreign people participated. “We understand that they are lawyers who came to consume liquor. Even, they sent the court personnel to buy it under threats,” said the supervisor.
Regarding the child who was located in the judge’s office, he said that at that time he was 15 years old and that he was under the protection of the authorities.
On the course of the case, he said that he did not know if there was already a criminal process against the judge with whom he was the child, who is now 17 years old.