Posted on 07/11/2009 3:54:53 AM PDT by don-o
While ousted President Manuel Zelaya carries out a raucous public battle to return and finish the last six months of his term, the Honduran attorney general is quietly collecting evidence that might put Zelaya behind bars -- or keep him at bay -- for years.
Zelaya and interim President Roberto Micheletti traveled to Costa Rica on Thursday to begin negotiating a way out of the political crisis in which both claim the presidency. But congress and other branches of government have suggested that some things are not on the table -- namely, dropping charges so Zelaya can return.
Deputy Attorney General Roy David Urtecho, who was appointed under the Zelaya administration, said his office would vehemently resist any pressure for leniency.
''Only congress can extend amnesty,'' he said. ``But we will take every legal action necessary so that no accusations that have been made, or will be made, against a public official are left in impunity.''
Zelaya is facing four charges: abuse of power, treason, usurping his duties and attempts against the form of government. Only treason and attempts against the form of government might be considered ''political'' charges, legal experts said.
Any legal woes for Zelaya stem from a single issue: his aggressive pursuit of a national referendum that he hoped would allow him to rewrite the constitution.
As congress and the courts legally blocked him each step of the way, Zelaya switched tactics, ignored rulings and fired those who got in the way. It came to a crisis point on June 25 when he rallied his supporters to break into a government building and seize the impounded referendum material, which was under guard. That was the last straw.
On June 26, the Supreme Court ordered his arrest, according to documents provided by the attorney general's office. On the morning of June 28 -- the day the referendum was to take place -- masked soldiers escorted Zelaya at gunpoint onto an airplane in his pajamas and flew him to Costa Rica.
In addition, Zelaya's chief of staff, Enrique Flores Lanza, is accused of abuse of power and misuse of public funds for withdrawing about $2.2 million in cash from the Central Bank on June 24.
Urtecho said there may be more charges in the pipeline. ''We have received reports about government contracts that violated the law,'' he said. ``But all the documentation we needed has been in the hands of the government officials who vacated their offices on June 28.''
Since Zelaya's departure, many of his ministers have fled and the entire Cabinet has been replaced.
PROCESS OBSCURE?
Zelaya's supporters see the charges as a naked ploy to make the negotiations moot.
''The courts and the attorney general work for Micheletti and there is a complete lack of transparency in the legal system,'' Eduardo Enrique Reina, Zelaya's private secretary and minister of communication, said in a phone call. ``The legal mechanism they used to get rid of Zelaya was a machine gun.''
Samuel Zelaya, a protest organizer not related to the president, said some of the legal documents the government has trotted out are suspicious. While the president's arrest warrant was dated June 26, no one knew about it. In fact, Zelaya had a press conference with diplomats present on June 27.
''If anyone had known about that order they would not have been there,'' he said. The document only came to light after Zelaya was out of the country.
While Micheletti maintains that Zelaya's removal was legal and in keeping with the constitution, Zelaya has said he was the victim of a coup.
That same debate took place Friday in Washington. Republicans on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs subcommittee rejected assertions that Zelaya's ouster was illegal, arguing that the military was acting on orders to take Zelaya into custody.
DEMOCRACY AT WORK?
''The world is slowly waking to the reality that what at first looked like a military usurpation of democracy was actually the culmination of the democratic process,'' said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.
But Democrats noted that even a high-ranking Honduran military official had acknowledged the military operation was likely illegal.
''The military should not have deposed President Manuel Zelaya and whisked him out of the country,'' said committee chairman Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. ``We can all discuss the events leading up to the removal of President Zelaya -- and I intend to do just that. But in the end, our hemisphere cannot tolerate what is essentially a military coup.''
The Organization of American States and the United Nations have also condemned the ouster and called for Zelaya's return.
U.N. General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto suggested Friday that a breakthrough in the crisis might be in the works. But few others have expressed such optimism.
While the pressure may be aimed at influencing talks, it's had little impact on local lawmakers.
Honduran congressional leaders said offering amnesty was unlikely.
''I can understand an amnesty on political issues,'' said Toribio Aguilera, an influential congressman with the PINU party, which came out against Zelaya's ouster. ``But for misuse of funds? Stealing? Corruption? I don't know how we could ever do that.''
ping
think the US military will throw out US congress/president/judges for violating constitution?
“`We can all discuss the events leading up to the removal of President Zelaya — and I intend to do just that. But in the end, our hemisphere cannot tolerate what is essentially a military coup.’’”
So what do you do when the most powerful person in the country ignores the law? Do you ask him nicely to stop? They did that. Do you tell him to stop? They did that too.
What about when he starts working with the communist leader of a neighboring country to thwart the legal process in your country? What do you do?
“So what do you do when the most powerful person in the country ignores the law? Do you ask him nicely to stop? They did that. Do you tell him to stop? They did that too.
What about when he starts working with the communist leader of a neighboring country to thwart the legal process in your country? What do you do?”
Are you talking about Obama or Zelaya??
Both are fortunate to be walking around
Yeah, and both are indestinguishable in alleged crimes.
“Are you talking about Obama or Zelaya??”
ummmm can I take the 5th?
LOL! No noticable difference, is there?
You're just upset that a fellow commie was exposed and booted for breaking the law. Aren't you, Eliot?
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