Quintavalle Behind Bars
Despite His Claim "I Am
Too Rich To Go To
Prison"
In the face of possible
flight, the Juzgado
Penal de Hacienda,
ordered Matteo
Quintavalle to six
months preventive
detention while his
boyfriend and
co-accused, Marvin
Esteban Hernández Zúñiga,
was freed on condition
that he report to the
court every 15 days and
does not leave the
country.
Quintavalle's lawyers,
Rafael Gairaud and
Franklin Fernández, said
yesterday that he would
be appealing the
preventive detention
order against his client
on the basis of
"violating rights of
equality".
Both Quintavalle and
Hernandez, accused of
fraud by their
investors, appeared
Monday morning before
the Ministerio Público
and were detained
following a day of
questioning.
According to Fernández
the Juzgado Penal based
its decision on the
possible flight risk of
Quintavalle.
"There is a presumption
of possible flight, but
that is not certain. Don
Matteo appeared before
the Fiscalía
(prosecutors)
voluntarily, he never
intended to flee. The
strange part is that the
court ordered cautionary
measures against
Marvin", said Fernández.
Quintavalle has been in
custody since Monday
night, being held in the
Organismo de
Investigación Judicial (OIJ)
cells of the basement of
court house of the
Segundo Circuito
Judicial de Goicoechea.
The Italian businessman,
who Weeks ago assured
the press that "yo no
voy al bote, soy
demasiado millionario
para ir al bote" (I will
not go to prison, I am
too rich to go to
prison), is today being
admitted to the Unidad
de Admisión de San José
also known as the San
Sebastían jail in San
José.
There he will spend the
next six months and
more, unless overturned
on appeal, while the
Fiscalía continues its
investigation.
The San Sebastían jail
is home to a number of
individuals who are
waiting their day in
court.
Quintavalle is being
accused by 17 of his
investors for
squandering some us$4.6
million dollars of their
money that was supposed
to be invested in real
estate projects.
The Fiscalía alleges
that with the help of
notaries, the suspected
forged documets to
simulate investment
certificates in
investment projects of
Quintavalle Financial
Institution. The
certificates, accoring
to the Fiscalía do not
comply with the law and
were not authorized by
any national institution
regulating stocks.
Another five people are
being investigated for
the same accusations
against the Italian. The
others have yet to
appear before the
Ministerio Público. |
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