“I could have emptied his magazine, because he’s capable.” The phase moved the room and bothered Roberto Ribas, one of the lawyers of Nicolás Pachelo (46), a few minutes after a new hearing began, this Friday, in the trial that will try to clarify the crime of María Marta García Belsunce (fifty).
Is that sitting in the center of the scene, the one who said that phrase was Horacio García Belsunce (73), brother of the victim. And when he referred to that phrase, he said that it was Ribas himself who said it to him, in a cafe, when they were friends.
The witness recounted how he found out that his then friend was the attorney for the main suspect for the García Belsunce family. “They tell me that Ribas is Pachelo’s lawyer, we were friends, if this meant playing golf together, a little coffee on the corner of the courthouse, eating with his wife and mine. So I wrote to him to meet.” While he testified, Ribas, a couple of meters away, covered his mouth with his hand.
They saw each other in the first days of December, after the autopsy of the victim’s body. “He gives me his condolences and tells me: ´There is a rogue for whom I am a lawyer, Pachelo. He’s a weird, complicated guy. How many shots does María Marta have?´ and I answer: ´Five shots and the pituto´. To which he replies: “I could have emptied the entire magazine because he was capable, but it’s strange because he didn’t call me.”
Pachelo speaks with one of his lawyers, Roberto Ribas. Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
The infidence generated several crossed glances and some uncomfortable gestures, especially in the lawyer Ribas, always sitting centimeters from his client, Pachelo. Another strong testimony is expected for the rest of the day, and it will be that of María Laura, sister of the murdered sociologist.
In addition, the witness openly targeted the then prosecutor of the Diego Molina Pico case. “On November 14 I asked for the autopsy and Molina Pico tells me that the bonus needs to be paid. I’m going to pay the bonus and when I come back with the letter, he tells me: ‘I already asked for it.’”
He also recalled when he requested the autopsy: “I notice that he is concerned about the autopsy and he acknowledges his concern. I ask him why and he tells me: ‘Because what is your father going to say?’ Given that response, García Belsunce confirmed that the prosecutor was “a stupid, inappropriate, a son of a bitch and a great scoundrel.”
He also stated that when the results of the autopsy arrived, Molina Pico told him: “Now what are we going to do?” To which María Marta’s brother told him: “But you moron, investigate! We had an accident and María Marta has five shots in the head and you ask me what we do.”
Horacio García Belsunce arrives at the courtroom of the San Isidro courts this Friday for his statement. Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
And to close, he said: “Molina Pico is the great accessory to this murder.”
With his back to the public and the press, seated and wearing a blue jacket, Pachelo, charged with the crime of María Marta, listened attentively to the preview of this Friday’s debate, which once again featured his lawyer, Raquel Pérez Iglesias, who joined his team. with the trial already started. The defender questioned that the Public Prosecutor’s Office had not provided the list of witnesses for this day in advance.
Before the judges of the Oral Criminal Court No. 4 of San Isidro arrived, Peréz Iglesias approached the trial prosecutors Patricio Ferrari, Andrés Quintana and Federico González, to present his complaint. And when the magistrates joined, he raised the issue, with a request that they resolve it in an intermediate room.
“I take refuge in the law that protects women from violence, because the prosecution alters my work and affects my mission if they don’t tell me which witnesses are coming. I ask the prosecution to abandon the attitude of hiding, I need the court to take action on the matter, ”she fired – with a broken voice – the lawyer.
Raquel Pérez Iglesias, Pachelo’s new lawyer, discusses with the team of prosecutors, this Friday, in the trial for the crime of María Marta. Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
And he added: “10 minutes ago we learned that there are two psychologists as witnesses, Patricia Ferreyra and María Elena Chicatto. I needed to take note of the expertise they did and now I can’t.
For his part, prosecutor Ferrari maintained that the psychologists did the expertise in 2003, 19 years ago. “The defense cannot claim surprise because they were on the payroll. The acting is trying to demonstrate a false affectation of the defense. I cannot understand this situation as a different way that the defense tries to show the breach of guarantees that were not affected.
A few steps from the prosecutors, in the front row was John Broyad, attorney general of the San Isidro judicial department.
Once again, the room was almost full, because in addition to the parties involved in the trial, there were many law students from the National University of La Plata. “It was worth getting here, despite the distance,” explained a young woman. specializing in criminal law.
In this third debate that is being carried out for the crime, the prosecution aims to demonstrate that Pachelo killed María Marta with six bullets to the head when he surprised him robbing his house on October 27, 2002, and with the collaboration of former security guards. Norberto Glennon (57) and José Ortiz (45), also accused in this debate.
GL