Legislative Assembly of El Salvador creates Special Prejudice Commission against Deputy Norman Quijano

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Norman Quijano (JOSE CABEZAS / AFP via Getty Images)

(CNN Spanish) - The Chamber of Deputies of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador approved the creation of a Special Commission for Prejudice and Disapproval against the deputy and former president of Parliament Norman Quijano.

The Attorney General's Office asked the deputies in January to withdraw the immunity of Quijano because a criminal investigation revealed possible links with gangs in exchange for electoral support during the 2014 campaign, in which Quijano was a candidate for the presidency by the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance party , SAND.

Deputy Quijano has reiterated his innocence and claims to trust to prove it to the special commission.

“I declare myself innocent of everything. I believe that the Prejudice Commission will be the ideal space to make my arguments and defense prevail. It will be shown that there is no merit for the formation of cause, ”Quijano told the legislative plenary.

Before the accusations, the head of the ARENA parliamentary group, Carlos Reyes, appointed by the party as spokesperson for this case, told several journalists that Quijano "will have the opportunity to prove his innocence in which we have always believed."

Quijano, according to the Prosecutor's Office, appears in a video delivered to the Assembly as part of the evidence to request the lawlessness and prejudice.

In the video, released in December 2019 by the specialized judge of sentence of San Salvador, Quijano is seen during a meeting in which he promises that if he won the presidency, he would invest US $ 100 million in reintegration of gang members.

The witness with the opportunity criteria identified with the key Noah, whose testimony served to convict 373 gang members in December, told the authorities that the video was recorded during a meeting with gang members in which Quijano offered money in exchange for electoral support. Quijano has rejected. According to him, the meeting was held with pastors from different churches.

The president of the Legislative Assembly, Mario Ponce, took an oath from the members of the Special Commission after each party proposed members and were elected by vote in plenary.

The full legislative appointed Jorge Mazariego to exercise the function of prosecutor. Norman Quijano has already appointed his lawyers to exercise technical defense before the Commission.

The Special Commission must assess the evidence of charge and discharge to issue an opinion in which they recommend or not the lawlessness, but it will be the legislative plenary that will vote to decide if Quijano must face a criminal process in the courts of justice.