Assembly impeaches, dismisses judiciary president

The National Assembly on Wednesday censured and dismissed Judicial Council President Mario Godoy for “manifest ineffectiveness in the fulfillment of functions.” The unanimous vote was considered a win for Citizens Revolution although the Democratic Action Pary (ADN) blocked efforts to link Godoy to drug traffickers during the debate.

The National Assembly voted unanimously Wednesday to dismiss President of the Council of the Judiciary Mario Godoy.

In the early stages of impeachment hearings in the Assembly’s Oversight Commission, President Daniel Noboa and the ADN had opposed Godoy’s dismissal, insisting he deserved a reprimand for “administrative oversights” and not impeachment. The Correistas presented what they claimed was “convincing evidence” of Godoy’s ties to international drug traffickers.

The turning point for ADN was the testimony of Judge Carlos Serrano, who claimed that Godoy’s friend and chief of the Pichincha judiciary office Henry Gaibor pressured him to acquit Serbian drug trafficker Jezdimir Srdan of money laundering charges, facilitating his release from prison. According to Serrano, he was ignored when he appealed for support from Godoy, whose wife had earlier been part of the legal team defending Srdan.

In commission testimony, supported by leaked audio tapes, Serrano also said that he received threats on his life from Srdan and that Godoy refused to provide police protection.

Correismo Assemblywoman Viviana Veloz said that widely reported comments by the attorney for Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Alvarez, who was arrested on money laundering charges Feb. 12, “embarrassed” Noboa and were also responsible for ADN’s reversal on impeachment. “He [attorney Ramiro García] pointed out the government’s hypocrisy in supporting a head of the courts with known ties to international drug trafficking,” Veloz said. “How can Noboa say he’s fighting traffickers when he’s backing a man who’s in the traffickers’ pocket?”

In a press conference following Godoy’s impeachment, Veloz and RC Assemblyman Xavier Lasso claimed “it is time to look deeper” into government ties to drug traffickers. “I suggest we start with the Noboa family since we already have the evidence,” Lasso said.

Before Wednesday’s impeachment trial, ADN’s Ferdinan Álvarez, had dismissed Correista evidence presented during Oversight Commission testimony. As president of the commission, he said the Correistas had failed to present “verifiable information” against Godoy. “They are using these hearings to attack the president and his campaign against the drug trade and corruption, and I am tired of hearing it,” he said.

Following ADN’s weekend announcement it would support the dismissal of Godoy, Álvarez said the Correista charges had nothing to do with the party’s change of position. “It was the testimony by Judge Serrano and others that led to our current position,” he said. “Information that was previously not available came to light during the testimony.”

As part of the vote to dismiss Godoy, the Assembly instructed the Attorney General’s office to open an investigation into evidence presented against Godoy during Oversight Commission testimony.

Following Godoy’s dismissal, the Judicial Council elected Damián Larco as its interim president.