ICE-ALCATEL SCANDAL:
Rodríguez Won't Resign, He Tells Pacheco
The newly sworn in Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Miguel Angel Rodríguez, gave his reply late yesterday afternoon to President Abel Pacheco's request that Rodríguez resign following allegations accepting a bribe on the ICE-Alactel deal.

Former Costa Rican president and now Secretary General of the oragnization of American States (OAS), Miguel Angel Rodríguez, says he won't resign his post at the OAS amid accusations of corruption in Costa Rica.

The answers is no, I will not resign.

Rodríguez said that his presumption of innocence is essential. If he resigns it demonstrates an acceptance of guilt and would prejudice his position.

Rodríguez, who was president of Costa Rica during 1998-2002, said it is terribly destructive that other powers - formally or informally - have the arrogance to pre-judge him.


Rodríguez send the following letter Pacheco.

Señor Presidente:

He recibido su carta del 4 de octubre de 2004, cuyas motivaciones comprendo.

Tengo el más alto concepto de la Justicia Costarricense y nada temo, mientras sea ante ese Poder del Estado, en responder a cualquier acusación que se me pueda hacer; por temeraria que esta sea.

Estoy seguro que usted comprenderá lo esencial que resulta la presunción de inocencia mientras no se demuestre lo contrario. Más aún, lo terriblemente destructivo que puede ser para una sociedad que otros poderes, formales e informales, se arroguen el derecho de pre-juzgar.

No es posible, en la Costa Rica que conozco, que se quiera causar un gran daño a mi persona, familia e Institución que hoy represento, irrespetando mi estado de inocencia. Estoy seguro que usted concordará en que todo ciudadano en democracia tiene el derecho a que se haga justicia, sin tener que pagar con dolor irreparable, el defender la verdad, la inocencia y el honor.

Puedo asegurarle que haré mi defensa con toda la altura y rectitud que merece mi País y su Poder Judicial, al que reitero mi respeto.

Excelentísimo Señor Abel Pacheco de la Espriella, Presidente de Costa Rica


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Fernández Arrested, Arias Speaks Out
While José Antonio Lobo Solera is under "house arrest" for the next six months for his role in the scandal, former director of the Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Joaquín Alberto Fernández, will spend the next three months in the San José San Sebastain jail, on preventive detention, ruled against him by a judge for his accepting us$1.200.000 payoff from Alcatel.

Fernández arrived at the jail in the early afternoon, transferred from the holding cells at the Goicoechea courthouse, where he spend the entire weekend waiting a judge's decision on his detention.

According to jail house officials, the receiving of Fernández was routine. Fernández is facing charges of aggravated corruption and enrichment, related to the the Alcatle payoff.

Fernández will join the company of two others at the San Sebastain jail, who are in preventive detention for corruption, Walter Reiche Fischel, president of the Corporación Fischel and Fischel corporate lawyer, Randall Vargas.

Eliso Vargas, former president of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) is another jail, prisión de Cocorí, en Cartago, waiting out his preventive detention in the Fischel-Caja scandal.

Meanwhile, former president and presidential hopeful in the coming elections, Oscar Arias Sánchez, who is a trip to Asia, sent a message to the Costa Rican press, telling how pained he is in hearing the news back home, but more what the world press is saying about his beloved country, known mainly for it's peaceful state.

The former president and Nobel Prize winner for Peace in 1987 is asking for those responsible for this "blow", to measure the consequences of their actions and take immediate action to repair the damage that has been caused on the image of Costa Rica in the world.