Prosecutor Leonor Morales denied that the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) had “sequestered” the electoral roll and maintained that it is public by law. She made the statements at a press conference this Friday, August 2, 2024, regarding the Semilla Corruption case, in which the secretary general of the institution, Angel Pineda, as well as the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (Feci), Rafael Curruchiche, also participated.
According to the official, since June 19 of this year, the Feci requested judicial authorization to make requests to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), including an audit of its computer systems.
The process continued and once the TSE was notified, the Prosecutor’s Office acted and the audit was carried out on July 18, 22 and 23, 2024.
Morales stressed that the procedure was carried out in accordance with judicial authorization and was declared confidential.
What was required and obtained from the TSE
The prosecutor presented a series of slides to explain what the investigations consisted of and the information obtained by the electoral body, as part of the actions in follow-up to the investigation against the official party.
According to Morales, the TSE was asked for a copy of “The original TSE database of some folders that supply data to the computer systems, within which a copy of the electoral register is required in PDF and Excel format”he assured.
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Since then, he said that “absolutely nothing could be reported about what was carried out in the same[diligence]since said information was confidential.”
He recalled that “all personnel” of both the MP and the TSE agreed to commit to not divulging details of the proceedings and signed a document to that end.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office did not seize the electoral register and did not seize any computers during the proceedings,” Morales said during the press conference.
“I put in view of everyone in the image the chain of custody generated in the indicated investigation diligence,” described the prosecutor and then explained that what The TSE database was copied onto a USB in PDF and Excel format, including the electoral register.
“Three folders were copied: Excel and texts, DMP, PDF, electoral roll, and values were generated in these three folders. […] script 256,” Morales said.
The prosecutor cited Article 225, which refers to the “printing, publicity and free access to the electoral register,” which states that “the electoral register is public” and can be consulted by any interested citizen.
He said that the information about the investigation was maliciously disclosed by the president of the TSE, Blanca Alfaro, which hindered the work of the MP and alerted the accused.
Morales called for an investigation into those responsible for the disclosure, including Alfaro and the presidential secretary of social communication, Santiago Palomo Vila, for obstructing criminal proceedings and abuse of authority.
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