The Legislature of La Rioja rejected the resignation of Judge Norma Abate de Mazzuchelli, accused of asking for bribes, and the trial jury will advance.
The decision was made this afternoon by the Legislature of the province of La Rioja in a special session where the resignation presented by the magistrate was discussed, after the scandal over the request for bribes.
Now the judge will have to face the trial jury that could determine her dismissal, regardless of the criminal case being pursued against her.
Judge Norma Abate de Mazzuchelli had been accused by the justice of The Riojaaccused of having requested million-dollar bribes, after having analyzed the testimony and the video provided by the complainant.
Prosecutor Luis González Aguirre confirmed the action, after the Superior Court of Justice (TSJ) of the province rejected the resignation of the magistrate – who had requested it to take advantage of retirement -.
The official also confirmed that the penalty that Abate may receive is one to four years in prison.
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The judge is charged with the crime framed in article 266 of the Penal Code, which establishes: “any public official who, abusing his position, requests, demands or causes to be paid or improperly delivered, by himself or through an intermediary, a contribution, a right or a gift or collects greater rights than those that correspond.”
“The behavior that the judge is accused of is having requested a contribution by abusing the exercise of her duties,” said the prosecutor.
Likewise, he maintained that “there is a principle of evidence provided by the complainant, in audio and video format that supports what she stated. These circumstances, analyzed by the prosecution, determined sufficient elements for the investigating judge to investigate the case.” .
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González Aguirre indicated that “the statements were analyzed and it is clear that there is a precise and consistent story,” and added that “protective measures were requested to safeguard the physical and mental health of the complainant.”
On the other hand, the Board of Directors of the Association of Women Judges of Argentina announced the decision to suspend Abate from her position as vice president, and also as a partner of the entity.
