Surprise in the trial of the Loza Clan: Leonardo Fariña's lawyer is summoned to testify

Virginia Messi

06/09/2021 12:58 PM

• Clarín.com

• Police

Updated 06/09/2021 12:58 PM

In recent years, criminal lawyer Roberto Herrera raised his media profile exponentially.

He did it thanks to a list of heavy clients: Leonardo Fariña, Leandro Báez (Lázaro's son), the former Kirchner accountant Víctor Manzanares and those convicted of the “Triple Crime of General Rodríguez”, Martín Lanatta and Victor Schillaci.

This week his name sounded again from an unexpected side.

On Monday afternoon, during the first hearing of the oral trial against the Clan Loza for a millionaire case of drug laundering,

Erwin Loza (42)

mentioned him as the person who -through a friend- sent him to say that they were arming him a cause and that for two million dollars he could prevent the judicial process from advancing.

Erwin's statement before the Oral Economic Criminal Court No. 3 was surprising because in the two and a half years that he has been in the case, (and that he is in prison),

he had never made reference to anything like this before.

His story left obscure points and contradictions, the most important of which was that, when questioned insistently by the Court, he admitted only having seen Herrera on television.

By recounting the episode, with all the characteristics of extortion,

Erwin tried to disqualify the investigation against him.

The first consequence was that the prosecutor Gabriel Pérez Barberá asked the president of the Court Luis Imaz to call the lawyer Roberto Herrera as a new witness.

This request was made on Monday and, although nobody expected it, this Wednesday the TOP 3 decided to

summon the lawyer for a testimonial statement.

Although a date has not yet been set for his statement, its incorporation as new evidence (using article 388 of the Nation's Criminal Procedure Code) has already generated a strong controversy.

For some sources consulted by

Clarín, it

would have been appropriate for testimonies to be extracted and the alleged incident to be investigated outside the scope of the oral trial.

The reason: a witness testifies under oath to tell the truth and cannot be questioned in a way that he can incriminate himself.

Against this background, Herrera does not seem concerned.

After listening -via Youtube- the decision of TOP 3

confirmed to this newspaper that it will be presented.

“I don't know Erwin Loza and what he tells is a lie.

When the Court summons me, I will testify without any inconvenience.

Here there is something else behind it ”, assured Herrera and promised more details at the time of his testimonial.

History of a clan

The Lozas fell at the end of 2018 accused of leading an international drug trafficking gang that exported large quantities of drugs to Europe, especially Spain.

Against them, the narco financier Diego Guastini (45) declared as repentant,

who a year later, in October 2019, was murdered by a hitman in Quilmes.

However, in the oral trial that began last Monday, only part of the clan members are judged for the money obtained in that business.

The sum, estimated at about 15 million euros, would have been invested in the

purchase of hotels, garage buildings, houses and cars.

In the debate, the main accused is Erwin Loza. His brother Gonzalo was also accused but died of cancer in Spain in 2019. His sons Alan and Gonzalo Junior were arrested at the trial.

Loza's third brother, Valdemar (58), was arrested in another drug trial and sentenced in 2019 by a Federal Court of Salta to 15 years in prison for attempting to smuggle more than a ton of cocaine.

In the trial that began Monday at TOP 3, Erwin clearly calls the shots.

In fact, he was the only one who elaborated on his inquiry.

He was averaging his statement - which lasted about two hours - that he said that seven months before his arrest (which took place in December 2018)

they had offered to close the case if he paid two million dollars.

The offer, he said, came to him via his friend and former partner, Cristian Ponsetti (with lack of merit in this case), who told him that he had been contacted by Herrera and that he showed him parts of the file.

"One day Cristian called me very worried and asked me to meet as soon as possible. We met the next morning and he told me about the two million," said Loza, who could not explain why he did not make the complaint at the time .

GL

Look also

Trial of the Loza clan: 500 witnesses cited, the great bet of the defenses to wear in an eternal debate

Trial of the Loza clan: Maradona's Ferrari, a repentant murdered and a smuggling lawyer