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The weakness of Lenín Moreno's economic policies 2:07
(CNN Spanish) - A judge at the National Court of Justice of Ecuador ordered preventive detention against Daniel Mendoza, an assembly member of the Better movement, a group allied to the government of Lenín Moreno.
At the charges hearing, the court accused Mendoza of alleged organized crime and opened a stage of fiscal investigation that will last 90 days.
The Ecuadorian Prosecutor's Office reported this Friday that, in coordination with the National Police, it executed search warrants in the cities of Quito, Portoviejo and Bahía de Caráquez, within the framework of the investigation for alleged crimes of "organized crime" in the construction of some works, among them, the Basic Hospital of Pedernales, in the province of Manabí. The authorities are investigating whether there was an illicit benefit from the funds allocated to the development of this public works project.
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According to the Prosecutor's Office, during the hearing, Mendoza's lawyer, Gabriela Moreira, requested alternative measures to preventive detention, such as periodic filing with the authorities and a ban on leaving the country. Moreira also said that the legislator is the father of a family and the livelihood of her home, and that she has shown herself willing to collaborate with the Justice. However, the judge rejected her request and chose to accept the request for preventive detention by the Prosecutor's Office.
According to the state attorney general, Diana Salazar, the case of the construction of the Pedernales hospital is in the preliminary investigation stage. Salazar said that he has received "recommendations to stop investigating assembly members", in view of the threat of impeachment against him, and warned that if he has to leave office to investigate officials, he will leave "with his head held high, doing the work to be done ”.
President Lenín Moreno referred to the case of the arrest of Assemblyman Mendoza on his Twitter account. He wrote that the Police and the Prosecutor's Office are doing their duty and that the Justice must apply the law. "Corruption is combated and sanctioned, only in this way impunity is avoided," added Moreno.
In these new operations for alleged corruption, the Prosecutor's Office indicated that in addition to Assemblyman Daniel Mendoza, other officials were detained.