10 soldiers are called to trial for the Montecristi radar case – 2024-03-29 17:48:13
2024-03-29 17:48:13
Uniformed officers face sentences of up to 10 years in prison for the alleged crime of sabotage, 27 months after the explosion of the Montecristi radar.
A Manabí judge called 10 of the defendants to trial for their alleged participation – to a degree of omission – in the crime of sabotage, due to the explosion of the Montecristi, Manabí radar, which occurred on November 7, 2021.
The State Attorney General’s Office reported on this resolution on March 1, 2024, at the conclusion of the hearing, without immediately providing further details. Although initially there were 14 military personnel prosecuted, from the ranks of the Ecuadorian Air Force.
The crime of sabotage is classified in article 345 of the Comprehensive Organic Penal Code. He is punished with a custodial sentence of up to ten years.
The elements
When the charging hearing was held, the prosecutor in the case presented the conclusions of four reports. These were delivered by experts from the United States (USA), Ecuador and the supplier company, who analyzed the materials that would have been used to exploit the radar.
The first is the result of the International Criminal Assistance requested from the United States, where, as a result of an analysis by a specialized team, the presence of plastic explosive residues at the site is determined, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
The report adds that these types of explosives are for the exclusive use of the Armed Forces and require specialized handling. In addition, they are highly destructive and leave little trace after exploding.
For the Prosecutor’s Office, this agrees with the report of the FAE Accident Investigation Board, in whose conclusions it determines that the destruction of the surveillance system could not be the result of a mechanical or electronic failure.
In turn, this criterion coincides with that of the report prepared by the delegated commission of the Ministry of Defense and with the result obtained by the company that supplied the radar. Among other elements, the Prosecutor’s Office also presented the report of recognition of the scene of the events and gathering of evidence, in addition to documentation related to the acquisition of the property.
In the versions of those now prosecuted, several of them indicated that at the time of the event they heard a roar and some described it as an explosion.
