Guatemala: Former anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval denounced his dismissal was illegal and asked to be reinstated in his duties

Juan Francisco Sandoval, the nationally and internationally recognized anti-corruption prosecutor who was removed from office by the Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, on Monday asked the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala to cancel his departure arguing that it was illegal.

Sandoval was the head of the Office of the Special Prosecutor against Impunity (FECI) and His dismissal generated the rejection of the indigenous and peasant sectors, the Catholic Church and the international community., as well as the suspension of US cooperation with the prosecution.

Claudia González, Sandoval’s lawyer, lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court of Justice, arguing that the decision to dismiss him violates the prosecutor’s career rights, legal certainty, due process and the principle of legality not to have dismissed him with a just cause or to have taken the measures of the law in labor matters.

Sandoval was a prosecutor for 15 years old.

On July 23, Porras fired Sandoval, alleging that she had suffered humiliation and he had disrespectful the institutionality of the prosecution, without specifying what it was referring to or presenting evidence. The same day, Sandoval denounced that the dismissal was due to the progress of investigations under his jurisdiction which linked President Alejandro Giammattei and other government officials to alleged acts of corruption.

Porras is close to Giammattei and he said that is your friend. The prosecutor later said in interviews with local media that Sandoval’s investigations were ideological Yes biased.

In February of this year, Sandoval was awarded the title of Anti-Corruption Promoter by the US State Department, which Porras joined.

Last week, the former anti-corruption prosecutor met with US officials in Washington. “Anti-corruption champion Juan Francisco Sandoval’s visit to Washington highlights the importance of supporting those working to strengthen institutions and fight corruption and impunity in Guatemala and the region,” reported the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, citing a tweet from the Acting Undersecretary. Department of State’s Western Hemisphere Affairs, Julie Chung.

While traveling to the capital of the United States, Sandoval also met Juan González, special assistant to Biden and senior director of the National Security Council for the Western Hemisphere; with Nancy McEldowey, national security adviser to the vice-president Kamala Harris; and with Ricardo Zúñiga, Biden’s special envoy for the North Triangle of Central America.

In addition, the lawyer met with officials from the Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Office for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INL), which l ‘also argued. Mark Feierstein, senior advisor to Samantha Power, USAID director, said on her Twitter account that “The United States urges the Guatemalan government to reinstate Sandoval as chief anti-corruption prosecutor. “

Joe Biden’s administration noted that Sandoval removal highlights Giammattei government’s “lack of commitment” in the fight against corruption, one of the pillars of Washington’s new immigration strategy, which aims to improve living conditions in Central America in order to end the constant flow of migrants.

Therefore, after learning of Sandoval’s departure, the United States announced that temporarily suspend security cooperation between the two countries.

In the midst of this controversy, last Saturday, about half a thousand Guatemalans manifested to demand the resignation of Giammattei and Porras, those they accuse of promoting corruption.

Before leaving the country, Sandoval said his work at FECI found a lot of obstacles, and that he was even asked not to investigate Giammattei without the consent of the Attorney General.

Protesters also insisted on the president’s resignation for alleged acts of Corruption in purchasing COVID-19 vaccines, and interviewed him for the mismanagement of the pandemic which killed 368,484 cases and 10,339 deaths on Saturday.

Last Thursday thousands of people blocked at least 20 sections of road in various regions of the country and hundreds demonstrated in the capital in a mobilization to demand the resignation of Giammattei and Porras. In addition, several small and medium-sized businesses have closed their doors to support the petition.

(With information from the AP and AFP)

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