Thursday 8 May 2003, Good morning Friends,
By: Hank

As deadlines come and go, the disappointments seem to mount.

From the very onset of this case, it has appeared that the cards are stacked against us, more than once.

At every legal intersection, the Investors are being run over by the Big Cement Truck of the OIJ with Walter Espinoza at the wheel.

Badly written briefs and requests by this prosecutor sail through the Costa Rican courts without hindrance, while well written and thought through pieces filed on behalf of the Brothers and their Creditors fall short of their goal.

Considering how all this started in July of 2002, we really should not be surprised.

Osvaldo and Enrique have had attorneys working on this since the beginning, to no avail. They have scored not one single victory, not one important decision has been handed down from the courts that could be considered a step in the right direction.
The prosecutor has dug in for the long haul and has said that he will not succumb to outside pressures. He will take his sweet time, because time is definitely on his side, and eventually "find" some evidence that allows him to turn his allegations into charges.

Jose Miguel is just getting started and, after having to overcome considerable resistance from the other legal teams and their initial refusal of cooperation, is now picking up speed and gaining some momentum.

Meanwhile, Walter Espinoza went behind everyone's back and got a judge to turn this matter into a complex case around April 25th, well before the May 26th "deadline".

Duke is on an expedition to research how this could have happened.
Soon we will hear from Jose Miguel, OUR attorney, what the legal consequence of this ruling will be.

But one thing is becoming very clear; instead of one unidentified enemy, we may have two or maybe more.

The financial institutions that are allegedly behind this, have such firm connections in the higher hierarchy of this government that we can not rely on any of this getting resolved in this administrations' "legal" system.

So, the second "enemy" might very well be this government itself. Even IF they manage to trump up some "evidence" that would turn Enrique into a "Dangerous and Money-laundering Fraud" (which he is not…), then why-oh-why are 6289 people being held hostage?

None of us have received absolutely no consideration and according to the prosecutor, we will more than likely fade away…

The only ones who have been acknowledged are the 600 who filed claims or denuncias. Are these 600 going to be our third enemy?

Why were they in such a hurry to file?

And why has NONE of them withdrawn their claim?

Are these 600 determined to help this prosecutor and to make sure than none of us will ever get any money back?

Are these 600 smiling to know that partly because of their efforts, Osvaldo will be in prison for up to 18 more months?

Are these 600 elated that because of their cooperation with the prosecutor Enrique will have to remain out of sight for another year-and-a-half?

Are these 600 dumb enough to think that they get to share the frozen accounts among themselves?

Are these 600 unable to read?

But these 600 could also be a most powerful ally. What do you think would happen when 600 people withdraw their claim?

To these 600 I say: "Let's find out!"

Hank
sky_boy@swbell.net