Supreme Court agreed to dismiss “narcojet” case against President Chinchilla: report

President Laura Chinchilla (archive photo)

November 15^th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) A report today by local news site, CRHoy.com said that the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court accepted a request by prosecutors to dismiss charges against President Laura Chinchilla surrounding her use of a private jet belonging to Gabriel Morales Fallon – a Colombian suspected of having links to drug trafficking, and his company that has been questioned by Colombian authorities for money laundering.

According to the report, the Third Chamber agreed to the motion on October 10^th. Prosecutors had filed the motion on September 18^th, though the information only came to light this week. Prosecutors also filed a motion to dismiss charges against Foreign Trade Minister, Anabel González.

The Public Prosecutor told local media this week that there is no evidence of any crime for which the president was being investigated, including the illegal acceptance of gifts, illegal exaction, unjust enrichment, accepting bribes, and breach of duty, amongst others.

“The prosecution gives its guarantee to the public that the motion to dismiss was based on purely legal criteria and not to favor one or more people,” the prosecution said in a statement.

President Chinchilla used the private jet in March to fly to Venezuela for the funeral of the former leader, Hugo Chavez. She then used the plane again in May for a private trip to Peru, where she attended a wedding.

It later emerged that both the jet, and its owner, Gabriel Morales Fallon, were under investigation by both Costa Rican and Colombian authorities for possible ties to drug trafficking.

Chinchilla initially claimed that she had nothing to do with procuring the use of the jet, saying instead that then-Communications Minister, Francisco Chacon had made the arrangements. Chacon took responsibility at the time, and later resigned.

However, a report released by the Office of Ethics in August established that Chinchilla managed all of the details of the private trip to Peru on May 11^th for a “period of rest” prior to meeting with the Peruvian president on May 12^th and 13^th, and even signed the necessary documents herself, noting that the cost of the trip would not need to be reimbursed to her as she was traveling on a private jet.