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Calvo and Chavez
Found Guilty
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Calvo and Chavez
Found Guilty
Although the court
acquitted Catholic
priest, Minor
Calvo Aguilar,
of hiring a hitman the
murder of journalist
Parmenio Medina, he was
found guilty of fraud in
the Radio María, the
priest's own church
affiliated radio station
scandal and sentenced to
15 years prison.
Co-accused, Omar Chaves
Mora, was
sentenced to 47 years in
prison for fraud
and conspiracy to commit
murder, and Luis Alberto
“El Indio” Aguirre, was
sentenced to 30 years
for murder, the court
pointing to Aguirre with
the finger on the
trigger.
The other six co-accused
on trial were found not
guilty of all counts.
Parmenio Medina, host of
the radio program "La
Patada" was critical of
Calvo of the handling of
the finances of Radio
María, accusing the
priest of pocketing
donations.
Medina said publicly,
before being gunned near
his home while in his
car on July 7, 2001,
that he had been
threatened and if
anything were to happen
to him, like ending up
dead, and pointed the
finger at Calvo.
The trial, the longest
and most expensive in
Costa Rica's history,
was heard by a panel of
three judge that began
on December 6, 2005. The
judges handed down their
verdict at 3:40pm in the
Tribunales de Justicia
de San José yesterday, a
little more than 2 years
later..
Medina's family said it
was disappointed with
Calvo's acquittal, but
the fraud conviction was
a consolation.
"It shows my father was
telling the truth", said
Medina's son, Rodolfo
Medina.
Calvo, arrested and
behind bars in
preventive detention
since 2003, has always
maintained his innocence
and is expected to
appeal the fraud
conviction.
William Guido, Chaves'
lawyer told the press
yesterday that he was
surprised at the
decision, had never
expected the guilty
verdict. "The court is
batting, they have no
proof against Omar, we
will win on appeal",
said Guido.
For his part, the Fiscal
General (chief
prosecutor) Francisco
Dall'Anese, preferred
not to speak to the
press about the court
decision.
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Priest
Minor Calvo listens
during his sentencing.
Calvo was sentenced to
15 years in prison for
fraud but acquitted of
forming part of the 2001
plot to kill a popular
radio host who
originally denounced
him.
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