Mariamulata: case of former mayor of Cartagena Judith Pinedo would reach the Constitutional Court

The former mayor of Cartagena Judith Pinedo does not give up in her intention to be exonerated from her twelve year and five month prison sentence for the case of the stretch of the Poligono de las Velas beach that was sold to the Dann Hotel in that city. This time, his intention could reach the Constitutional Court of Colombia.

The legal team of the policy known as the Mariamulata filed a guardianship before that court, on the grounds that their rights were violated. It turns out that the sentence condemning Judith Pinedo is not final, but an arrest warrant was imposed anyway.

A similar appeal had been filed with the Supreme Court of Justice in 2021. In addition to the presumption of innocence, they appealed to the prediabetes and hypothyroidism that he suffers from in order to try to obtain, if not freedom, at least house imprisonment. This attempt did not succeed because it was possible to deprive a person of his liberty while decisions were made on that remedy.

On this occasion, before the Constitutional Court, the defense will appeal to section 188 of Criminal Law 600 of 2000, which explains the terms of presumption of innocence and exceptionality, among others, to try to remove Judith Pinedo from the San Diego Women's Prison.

The news program CM& learned that Constitutional Court magistrate Alejandro Linares recommended that his colleagues choose this guardianship for their study, although no final decision has yet been made on it.

Pinedo, who was mayor of the Walled City during the period 2008-2011, was convicted on April 12, 2021 by the Criminal Chamber of the Superior Court of Cartagena as co-author of the crimes of embezzlement by appropriation and contract without compliance with legal requirements, for selling the 243.75 meters of beach by means of public deed 3570 of November 8, 1999.

Mariamulata appeared on April 16 at the premises of the Attorney General's Office in the Canapote neighborhood to respond to the ruling issued by the authorities. He has at all times denied responsibility. This he had said about it:

“I agree, but I do not share the decision of the Cartagena High Court, and that is why I am challenging it before the Supreme Court of Justice. If that is the price I have to pay for having lifted 79,000 people in Cartagena out of poverty between 2008 and 2011, for having managed to get 16,000 young people from public schools to go to university for the first time, for having prevented them from getting their hands into public procurement for the first time, for having prevented them from getting their hands into public procurement for the first time, I will gladly pay it.”

The case also involves Vivian Eljaiek Juan, former secretary of the Treasury of Cartagena in the government of Pinedo Flórez, who is currently the manager of the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia (Andi) in Bolívar. She must pay the same sentence as the former mayor.

The Superior Court of Cartagena also assured that, for the illegal sale of this stretch of beach, three other people who participated in the event will have to answer. The group includes engineer Rafael Enrique Ceballos Calvo, contractor Darío Giovanni Torregroza Lara and Luis Edgar Restrepo Pineda, who was the manager of Hotel Dann, the chain that bought the land.

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