Quintavalle To Remain in
Preventive Detention
Despite Claims of Poor
Health
Matteo Quintavalle will
remain in jail until
January 17 as a judge of
the Tribunal de Juicio
de Goicoechea declined
his request to have his
preventive detention
downgraded to house
arrest giving his health
as a reason.
The Italian businessman
suffers from diabetes
and says that he cannot
get the medical
attention at the San
Sebastián jail,
especially on weekends
and holidays, when the
medical staff is not
available and that the
prison guards are not
trained to deal with his
condition.
Quintavalle's lawyer,
Rafael Gairaud, made the
plea on behalf of his
client. The court,
however, did not back
down on its original
order.
Quinta, as he is known
to friends and his
cellmates, is now in his
22nd day behind bars,
being taking to hospital
on three separate
occasions, all due to
his diabetes.
In an exclusive
interview with the
Spanish language daily,
Quinta related how he
spends his time with his
cellmates, Omar Chaves
and father Minor Calvo,
who are being tried for
the murder of journalist
Parmenio Medina, and his
medical conditioned
worsened by the lack of
sanitary conditions in
the jail.
He denied claims that he
had been raped while in
prison and the reason
for his trips to the
hospital. Quinta said
that he has had many
proposals from other
inmates but shuns them
away, telling them that
he has a partner. Most
of the inmates are
respectful, he said,
while some others are a
nuisance.
Quinta told the Extra
that he has no hard
feelings against the La
Nación for their biased
report on his problems
with the investors and
the follow up of his
arrest, saying he does
not read the La Nación.
As to the Banco de Costa
Rica who closed his
accounts that, according
to Quinta stirred panic
in his investors and
unleashed the events
that led to the raiding
of his home and
businesses and his
detention, he will act
against at the proper
time.
The Italian says that he
has not committed any
fraud, that the
investors money are all
intact, though he is
concerned that his
investments are eroding
for lack of attention
and that the capital
will be lost by time
this is all over.
Quintavalle is accused
by some 90 investors of
defrauding them of
several million dollars.
One of his associates
and lover, Marvin
Hernández, is free on
bail having to sign in
every 15 days and
prohibited from leaving
the country.
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