Judge responsible for scrapped Maradona trial indicted for bribery, abuse of authority
Prosecutors claim they are sufficient elements to charge the judge with said crimes.
Prosecutors in San Isidro have asked that Julieta Makintach, the judge who caused the dramatic collapse of the trial into the 2020 death of football legend Diego Maradona, face impeachment proceedings on a number of charges.
Makintach, 47, has been indicted by prosecutors for the crimes of passive bribery, breach of a public servant’s duties and abuse of authority, embezzlement of public funds and influence-peddling.
Prosecutors Carolina Asprella, Cecilia Chaieb and José Amallo, who are conducting the investigation in San Isidro, said in a 42-page court filing that there are sufficient elements to land the judge with said crimes.
The “evidence collected during the preliminary investigation showed serious irregularities holding the reported magistrate criminally liable,” the filing reads.
Makintach resigned her post in June ahead of likely impeachment proceedings.
Her involvement in a clandestine documentary about the trial of Maradona's medical team sparked a huge scandal and led to the proceedings being scrapped in May after two months of hearings.
The controversy erupted when it was revealed that the judge was starring in a documentary about the trial that included scenes from hearings, where filming was prohibited.
She initially denied any wrongdoing, but after police raids and a week-long suspension of trial proceedings, evidence came to light that brought the magistrate’s conduct into question.
Local media later published leaked clips from a planned documentary named Justicia Divina, contradicting her claims of innocence. Leaked footage showed the judge entering the courtroom and being interviewed in her office.
Makintach was initially suspended from her duties for 90 days and was under investigation by a judicial disciplinary body.
In their filing, prosecutors said that the judge had accepted a business proposal sent by a woman Maria Lía Vidal Alemán, “under the promise of being able to obtain future direct financial profit.”
Both arranged for a man named Juan Manuel D’Emilio to be in charge of the production of the project, whereas Makintach had to take care of issues within the courtroom.
She agreed to “enable the locations of the San Isidro Courts, facilitate footage from inside the hearing room and to chair the court to gain a more starring role,” say prosecutors.
They requested impeachment proceedings proceed and that her judicial immunity be withdrawn in order for the case to progress.
– TIMES/NA