The ruling party distanced itself from the prosecutor Court, Juan Gomez, after he decided to transfer the prosecutor Gabriela Fossati and relegate it from the investigation around the Astesian case; and within the government there is already talk of a possible replacement for the magistrate in the Public Ministry of Uruguay.
The judicial side of the Astesiano case continues to give rise to talk and has already become a chapter of its own in the novel that was generated around the former head of presidential security, Alexander Astesiano; causing its own stir not only in public opinion, but also within the political system.
On this occasion, the decision of court prosecutor Gómez did not go down well with the pro-government ranks, who understood the decision to remove Fossati from the cause of the forged passports as a way of giving in to pressure from Diego Camano, the lawyer of the front leader Gustavo Leal.
This is how the senator of the National Party (NP), Jorge Gandini, when assuring that it seemed “unusual” to him that Gómez transferred a prosecutor “at the request of a defense attorney”, referring to the fact that the measure was taken after Camaño warned that he would officially denounce Fossati for “non-compliance with functional obligations” -something which the magistrate denied.
But the discontent in the Multicolor Coalition it grew inversely proportional to the political support of the court prosecutor.
Criticism of Gómez started the countdown to his departure
The truth is that the transfer of Fossati —turned into a “real possibility” after the various scandals that the prosecutor has been the protagonist of in recent weeks (Leal’s investigation, the leaked audios insinuating political influence in the investigation against the former custodian , the criminal complaint for defamation and the administrative investigation into his colleague Ferdinand Roman due to gender violence)— there could be hasty exit of Gomez of the Court Prosecutor’s Office.
The magistrate argued his decision on the need to avoid the “media noise” that the prosecutor was generating, while from the ruling party they understand it as a mistake in the face of pressure from the opposition, which once again put on the table the need for his replacement in the Public Ministry.
“The time is coming when he has to step aside,” said Gandini, in this regard, summarizing the conclusion of the sea of criticism that raged within the government. An example is that of the PN senator, Sebastian da Silvawho pointed out that “anything goes as long as it covers up leftist leaders”
For its part, the legislator Grace Bianchi considered that Gómez was trapped in the dispute that exists between the two sides of the Prosecutor’s Office -with Jorge Diaz at the head of the other party—, and that his decision demonstrated the “loss of objectivity”; while the colorado deputy Gustavo Zubia He considered that “there is a coalition that is tired of this type of news.”
In this sense, the coincidence in the ruling party is that the president Luis Lacalle Pou must take action on the matter and put “order” in the face of the lack of the majority necessary to relieve Gómez of his position -reason for which the appointment is stuck in the Senate. In principle, from the coalition they confirmed that they will raise the issue to Presidency.
It should be remembered that, although Gómez was initially supported by the ruling coalition, the prosecutor is subrogating to the Court Prosecutor’s Office, and will retire in 2025, when he turns 70. In this context, the ruling party wants move the pieces before the government administration is finishedand the appointment of a replacement became more relevant after Fossati’s transfer.
For his part, the head of the Public Ministry was not taken by surprise by any of these reactions: he already knew the possible consequences of his decision, and had commented to a close friend that the determination to appoint Fossati to the 16th shift Flagrante Prosecutor — already Sabrina Flores as the new starter of the 9th turn— could cost you the fee. Something that could happen as long as the ruling party understands the internal movement as a help for the front player Leal.
The left, meanwhile, he remains silent and refrains from giving opinions on the matter rather than asking for “institutional support” so as not to further bog down the situation, which would ultimately remain in the hands of Lacalle Pou.
Source: Ambito
