Sobeida promises to tell how she left and who helped
An incident halted progress in hearing accusations in the Figueroa Agosto case
Diario Libre
SANTO DOMINGO. The preliminary hearing of the case against Jose David Figueroa Agosto, Sobeida Felix Morel and two more defendants implicated in money laundering of assets from serious crimes was postponed until 27 August as the result of an incident with respect to the declaration of being in contempt of court of both persons, after being declared to be fugitives on 1 July.
The defense lawyers for Sobeida Feliz Morel, Felix Portes, and Mary Pelaez FRappier and Sammy Dauhajre, Jose Rafael Ariza Morillo asked the judge of the Second Court of Instruction for the National District, Claribel Nivar Arias, to permit them the use of the period established by the Penal Code to bring about a counter-suit.
The lawyers of the other defendants agreed with the suggestion, and they requested the tribunal to suspend the hearing with the idea of permitting them to make use of the suit of opposition outside of the hearing against the decision adopted on 1 July by the substitute judge of the tribunal, Pilades Hernandez Mendez, who issued a decree of contempt against Figueroa Agosto, Sobeida and Leavy Nin Batista, the Puerto Rican's wife.
The assistant prosecutor, Agustin de la Cruz Santiago said that the suggestion was untimely, lacking a legal basis and inadmissible, because the appeal of opposition should be received when it is done outside the hearing and that in this case the decision of Judge Hernandez Mendez was considered during the first hearing.
Nevertheless, Sobeida's lawyer, Felix Portes, said he felt that to counteract the declaration of contempt of court, this should be notified in order to be able to take the necessary corrections.
The request was accepted by the judge of the Second Court of Instruction, Claribel Nivar Arias, who ordered the court secretary to make the notification of the court's decision to the lawyers of the defense at the end of the hearing.
Sobeida and Mary Pelaez were taken to the courtroom at 9:15 a.m.
What Sobeida says
The former fugitive refused to talk about the way she escaped from the country and who she managed to enter Puerto Rico in order to join her lover Figueroa Agosto.
"I can't answer that for you", was her response when she was asked about how she fled the country nearly 10 months ago.
She repeated the same phrase when asked who it was that helped her flee the country and on what date it was.
"At the proper time I will tell everything, how it happened, how I left, who helped me...everything", she stressed.
Nevertheless, she noted that not many saints would fall when she gave her statement about this. "I don't think so", she said to the question.
Briefly, she referred to her relation with Figueroa Agosto saying: "It was a normal relationship like any other".
Regarding the video where the drug capo is seen having sexual relations with several women, she says that she has not seen it, but she noted that her photo was on the cover.
The beginning
The beginning of the process was delayed until 11:00 a.m. When the judge took the bench at 10:15 am, she asked for the whereabouts of the defense council for Madeline Bernard, but the defendant told her that they were on their way to the courthouse.
Lawyers Miguel de la Rosa Genao and Porfirio Lopez Reyes appeared at 10:47 am, and the process restarted at 11:03.
Once started again, the magistrate warned those present of the consequences that they would face if there was a lack of decorum in the courtroom and if order was disturbed since they would face charges of disturbing the court.
Likewise, she continued the process of the preliminary hearing, until the session was halted at 2:45 in the afternoon with the delivery of her decision.
The defense lawyers for Sobeida Feliz Morel, Felix Portes, and Mary Pelaez FRappier and Sammy Dauhajre, Jose Rafael Ariza Morillo asked the judge of the Second Court of Instruction for the National District, Claribel Nivar Arias, to permit them the use of the period established by the Penal Code to bring about a counter-suit.
The lawyers of the other defendants agreed with the suggestion, and they requested the tribunal to suspend the hearing with the idea of permitting them to make use of the suit of opposition outside of the hearing against the decision adopted on 1 July by the substitute judge of the tribunal, Pilades Hernandez Mendez, who issued a decree of contempt against Figueroa Agosto, Sobeida and Leavy Nin Batista, the Puerto Rican's wife.
The assistant prosecutor, Agustin de la Cruz Santiago said that the suggestion was untimely, lacking a legal basis and inadmissible, because the appeal of opposition should be received when it is done outside the hearing and that in this case the decision of Judge Hernandez Mendez was considered during the first hearing.
Nevertheless, Sobeida's lawyer, Felix Portes, said he felt that to counteract the declaration of contempt of court, this should be notified in order to be able to take the necessary corrections.
The request was accepted by the judge of the Second Court of Instruction, Claribel Nivar Arias, who ordered the court secretary to make the notification of the court's decision to the lawyers of the defense at the end of the hearing.
Sobeida and Mary Pelaez were taken to the courtroom at 9:15 a.m.
What Sobeida says
The former fugitive refused to talk about the way she escaped from the country and who she managed to enter Puerto Rico in order to join her lover Figueroa Agosto.
"I can't answer that for you", was her response when she was asked about how she fled the country nearly 10 months ago.
She repeated the same phrase when asked who it was that helped her flee the country and on what date it was.
"At the proper time I will tell everything, how it happened, how I left, who helped me...everything", she stressed.
Nevertheless, she noted that not many saints would fall when she gave her statement about this. "I don't think so", she said to the question.
Briefly, she referred to her relation with Figueroa Agosto saying: "It was a normal relationship like any other".
Regarding the video where the drug capo is seen having sexual relations with several women, she says that she has not seen it, but she noted that her photo was on the cover.
The beginning
The beginning of the process was delayed until 11:00 a.m. When the judge took the bench at 10:15 am, she asked for the whereabouts of the defense council for Madeline Bernard, but the defendant told her that they were on their way to the courthouse.
Lawyers Miguel de la Rosa Genao and Porfirio Lopez Reyes appeared at 10:47 am, and the process restarted at 11:03.
Once started again, the magistrate warned those present of the consequences that they would face if there was a lack of decorum in the courtroom and if order was disturbed since they would face charges of disturbing the court.
Likewise, she continued the process of the preliminary hearing, until the session was halted at 2:45 in the afternoon with the delivery of her decision.
Diario Libre
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