Busy Week Ahead for the Fiscalía
This week will be a tense and trying week for the Fiscalía (Prosecutor's office) and the Fiscal General, Franciso Dall'Anese.

Yesterday was a holiday in Costa Rica, celebrating yesterday the Oct 12 Dias de Las Culturas to give Ticos the long weekend, so life for those accused of taking bribes, involved in the major scandals that have raised emotions in every corner of the country and have made news internationally, was pretty normal.

However, the Fiscalía is set to resume is fast and hard pace in pressing those accused for the truth and to ease Costa Rica's thirst for justice, that includes getting former president Miguel Angel Rodríguez to jail rather than spend his preventive detention in a comfortable apartment under house arrest.

Rodríguez returned to Costa Rica last Friday, after stepping down as Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) for less than a month, and was arrested for bribery, corruption and illicit enrichment.

A judge ordered the former president to house arrest for six months and payment of bail in the amount of ¢250.000.000 colones.

The Fiscalía has prepared an appeal to the decision and is expected to be on the top of the list for things to do this week.

Also on that list is the appearance of Elisio Vargas, former president of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) for an interview before prosecutors for a more complete and concise declaration of what when on at the Caja and the relationship between the Caja, the Corporacíon Fischel who received millions of dollars of commissions on the loan from Finland to the Caja, to purchase medical equipment.

Vargas is currently in preventive detention and is being held at the Cartago, Cocorí jail.

On Thursday, former president Rafael Angel Calderón is scheduled to make his appearance at the Fiscalía de Delitos Económicos. calderón is accused of receiving more than us$500.000 with respect to the Fischel-Caja deal, through a Panamanian corporation held by the president of the Corporacíon Fischel, Walter Reiche Fischel, is in preventive detention, being held at the San Sebastain jail, along with Fischel corporate lawyer, Randall Vargas.

Calderón gave back us$522.500, paying the money into court, in his words, not as an admission of guilt, simply, that the court should decide who the money belongs to, if not him. Fiscal Dall'Anese said that that changes nothing shortly after learning of Calderón's repayment.

The list of witnesses and accused has grown and the Fiscalía is busy attempting to sort out the facts from heresay and busy arresting and detanining those public funtionaries who took dávidas - bribes, as well as those private sector businessmes who paid them.

See our scandals scorecard of who is who and where they are now.
 

Who Is Allowed to Visit Former President Rodríguez?
Television Channel 7's Telenoticias has been keeping a close eye on the "house arrest" of former president Miguel Angel Rodríguez and raised the question over the last couple of days, of who is authorized by the courts to make visits of Rodríguez.

Telenoticias reports that dozens of people have been seen coming and going from the apartment that Rodríguez is living in instead of spending time in a jail cell, including the Defensor de los Habitantes José Manuel Echandi.

The judge's order made it clear that only Rodríguez's close family and his defence lawyers were authorized to make visits.

However, Telenoticias, raises the question who is deemed to be close family? and who makes the decision at how close a family member must be to be deemed family.

The two Fuerza Publica officers posted outside apartment number 39 in a swank Montes de Oca neighbourhood are left to make that decision, it appears. However, it it not known what criteria is used to make the determination.

While the decision is not clear, Telenoticias reports that the visitors keeping and going.
 

No Trace of Escaped Prisoners
The doors at the country's most populated prison have to be repaired once more, as three men made their way past security on Sunday morning, taking advantage of visitor's day, to escape from the the prison.

As of this morning, police have not been able to locate and apprehend the men, who seem to have totally disappeared.

Less that a kilometre from the prison, officials located the pick up truck that the men used to make their prison break, where prison officials believe others were waiting for the men to make their getaway much easier.

The three men were identified as Ramírez, who is serving a 20 year sentence for armed robbery, Ordóñez who is serving 18 years, also for armed robbery and Alpizar who is doing 15 years for murder, concurrent with 10 years for armed robbery.

Sunday morning is visiting at most prisons in Costa Rica, and there generally is a lot of confusion as family member and friends come to make their weekly visit, to also bring food and other necessities, which go to making prison life more bearable.

Authorities consider the men dangerous and ask with any information to call police.
 

17% of Inmates In for Sexual Crimes
Costa Rican jails hold 1.118 male prisoners related to sexual crimes, that include rape, abuse and corruption of a minor.

According to a report released by the Justice Ministery, the group of sexual delinquents represent 17% of the total prison population, which now is now 6.250 inmates

Of the 1.118, 574 are enrolled in special programs to help them understand what they have done and that their acts are not normal.

The report says that the greatest number of sexual crimes are committed against family members, followed by teachers abusing their authorities over their students.

Authorities are concerned as the numbers of sexual offences, according to the statistics available, continue to grow.

Heavy Rain Expected for This Week
This week will see an increase in the intensity of rain and thunderstorms, as the "rainy season" winds down, according to the country's weatherman - the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN).

Meteriologist Norman Vega said that there has been an increase in precipitation in the Central and South Pacific regions.

The IMN reports that Sunday Límon (the Caribbean) received 16.8 mm of rain, 0.5 mm in San José and 0.1 mm in Alajuela.

The atmospeheric conditions are unstable this time of year, and areas around the Central Valley, Talamanca and Quepos could be harded hit.

For the coming week, we can expect sunny and hot mornings, followed by intense rains in the afternoons. The rain should be gone by no later than mid November.