Ponce Mayor Irizarry Pabón Proclaims Innocence and Refuses to Resign – Latest Updates

2024-02-28 20:06:07

Minutes before his deadline to comply with an agreement reached with the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) expires, the suspended mayor of Ponce, Luis Irizarry Pabón, proclaimed his innocence this Wednesday and affirmed that he will not resign from his position or his candidacy. to re-election for the 2024 elections.

“I want to make it clear that, I DO NOT QUIT! In the midst of this humbug, there is no reason to leave my position and my candidacy,” she said.

Immediately, the secretary of the PPD, Gerardo “Toñito” Cruz, reported in a press conference that the community will go to court to remove the Ponce leader from the PPD ballot.

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Irizarry Pabón was charged on October 31 with four counts of violations of Article 4.2 of the Government Ethics Law and Article 251 of the Penal Code, for alleged unjustified enrichment.

The allegation made once morest him was that he requested money from directors and trusted employees to pay a personal loan of $50,000 that he took out with Banco Popular, allocating $30,000 to his 2020 election campaign. The whereregardings of the man have not yet been specified. remaining, that is, $20,000 which, according to the testimony of the investigating agent, Miguel Fonseca, might have been consumed in expenses at the defendant’s medical office.

Last December, the accused mayor reached an institutional agreement with his community, the PPD, so that he would be allowed to aspire in the preliminary hearing once morest him on charges of public corruption. However, such an agreement set a deadline. This is today, February 28.

It was just when Cruz was preparing to start the press conference to talk regarding the future of Ponce that Irizarry Pabón issued public statements in which he stipulated that he would not comply with the agreement he had signed with his party. Among other reasons, he alleged that the people had requested it.

Below is the full statement from the suspended mayor:

“In November 2020, the people of Ponce, democratically, elected me their mayor with 62 percent (%) of the votes, and all the voting stations won. Respecting the will of all my Ponceños brothers, I have carried out the work once morest all odds.

As you know, I am facing a legal case brought by the Office of the Panel of Special Independent Prosecutor (OPFEI) to court! Everyone who knows me knows of my integrity as a professional and human being and I AM INNOCENT!

In December 2023 I was summoned by our Popular Democratic Party to mediate an agreement that once the Preliminary Hearing of the case was held and if it was negative once morest me they might have my candidacy for re-election as mayor.

I present important data to consider:

• Hearing of Rule 6 or Cause – The judge of the Ponce Court requested to continue the process in November 2023, but the FEI immediately indicated that they were not available until January 2024;

• The January date was notified;

• The assigned dates of January 21 and 22 were postponed

• Given the notification from the judge and the Court for the preliminary hearing, my lawyers requested a change in the assigned judge and court for a transparent process for everyone (employees who know me and other employees);

• The assigned judge is related to my former medical partner;

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• The wife of the assigned judge was recommended for appointment as a judge by the lawyer who is now the candidate of the opposing party

• Another judge was delegated, the same one who immediately inhibited herself due to conflicts of interest.

Reasons why the preliminary hearing was postponed

The agreements with the Court, the lawyers, the Chamber and the assigned dates were scheduled for next March; All of those were situations beyond my control.

I am innocent! I am protected by the constitution of Puerto Rico and the United States and my constitutional rights are being violated.

I have been visiting my Ponce communities where they have received me with joy and support. They repeatedly tell me: ‘Doctor, don’t leave, we are with you!’

For that and all the previous reasons I want to make it clear that, I DO NOT QUIT! In the midst of this nonsense, there is no reason to leave my position and my candidacy.

This your servant, Dr. Luis Manuel Irizarry Pabón, your mayor and certified candidate, I am here standing and facing you. I will continue here to serve my Ponce and my beloved Ponceños.

In Ponce we Ponceños decide!

Luis M. Irizarry Pabón”

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