What does it mean for Carlos Palit to declare himself ‘not guilty’ of the charges against him in the United States? | Policy | News

“Not guilty” (or Not guiltyIn English) is not equivalent to “innocent”. This is how former state Commander-in-Chief General Carlos Palit announced himself at the trial, which began the process of submitting evidence. Discovery, Within the criminal investigations conducted against him in the United States. It took place on May 27 in the Southern District Court in Miami, Florida.

There are six charges against politics in that country: One for conspiracy to commit money laundering, three for concealing money laundering and two for participating in private property transactions derived from criminal activities..

What is the difference between “not guilty” and “innocent”? To explain this, Judge George Jawala Egas, The plaintiff in the courts of the United States compares the manner in which criminal proceedings are carried out in that country and in Ecuador.

“In the United States, the lawyer begins to investigate without anyone knowing; He gathers evidence until the time comes when he thinks it is enough to file a chargesheet. With all of this, he adds the so-called Grand Jury, which listens to the citizens, listens to the lawyer, looks at their evidence and determines if they have reasons to file charges. Neither the defendant nor his attorneys appeared at this point. He was later told by a judge that he had the charges and could be arrested (as happened in the police station), “he said.

Carlos Palit stayed with the celebrity’s lawyer and asked him to show evidence against him

“It simply came to our notice then DiscoveryDefendant admits ‘guilt’ or ‘no offense’ and begins a so-called trial: the lawyer presents all the evidence and charges he has so he can defend himself “, he explains.

“Not guilty” is a formula used to say ‘innocent’ in Anglo-Saxon law, but they do not mean the same thing: ‘not guilty’ means ‘I do not accept’ the charges against me by the prosecutor’s office. , “He says.

“The defendant meets with his lawyer and they see how many charges he can argue against based on the available evidence. I can win you four charges and not two, for example; you can be fined for many years. So you (client) decide: go to trial on all charges or cooperate and negotiate where some of them will experience convenient punishment and punishment, “said Jawala Egas, John Paulit’s lawyer. , Son of former controller, in Ecuadorian operations.

Jose de la Casca, meanwhile, is a U.S. law studentPoints out that the main difference lies in the principle of the presumption of innocence, which is universal.

“‘Not guilty’ is a way of dismissing the charges against him. Based on the presumption of innocence established in the United States, since we are also innocent, I cannot declare myself innocent. You cannot declare yourself already there. There is an indictment, “he points out.

De la Casca agrees that Palit can choose between going to trial for all charges or negotiating a confession agreement for him to benefit from the sentence imposed, depending on the evidence provided by the prosecutor’s office. Aside from the compensation he has to pay in cash or in kind, it may even reduce the time he spends in prison under house arrest.

At this last point, the judge points out that there is a “great opportunity” for the judge of that country to find the hidden assets.

The trial of former United States regulator Carlos Paulit will close a circle that opened in Ecuador

The benefits of the settlement depend on the information provided by the respondent. He says the collaboration will cover “everything” preferred by U.S. officials, not necessarily related to that particular case because “perhaps they are interested in a bigger fish.” “The sessions are long, the marathon. They tell you what they want to know and then see what you can contribute,” he says.

Jawala and de la Casca point out that the processing of these types of cases can take years.

Palit is currently under house arrest with an electronic bracelet and GPS. He was detained for several weeks, but was later released on $ 14 million bail: 10% was paid in cash, the rest was guaranteed with property owned by his family.

In Ecuador, a former officer has been sentenced to six years in prison for writing a crime of concussion; This is to solicit money from the Brazilian company Odebrecht in exchange for the luminosity. In addition, the call for an investigation into the Odebrecht Illegal Association case has been suspended, in which former vice president George Klaus has already been convicted. (YO)