The first three detainees who were accused under the new Wood Theft Law, in the Province of Arauco, were released. This after dismissing the request for preventive detention requested by the plaintiffs, including the Government and Forestal Arauco. The fact generated criticism from parliamentarians who will ask for explanations from the Prosecutor’s Office, which requested the precautionary measure decreed by the guarantee judge.
Three men, whose identity cannot be revealed by court order, were the first to be formalized under the new Timber Theft Law, after having been arrested transporting logs in trucks, which were stolen from a Forestal Arauco’s property in San José de Colico, in the district of Curanilahue.
It was Carabineros who, after receiving the call from the company, controlled the trucks, which were accompanied by the escort of an off-road vehicle driven by one of the detainees nicknamed “The Menthol”.
The latter, who is accused of being one of the leaders of a gang dedicated to this crime, also made death threats to the police and forestry company personnel.
Prosecutor’s Office did not request preventive detention for detainees for wood theft
Well into the afternoon, the detention control and subsequent formalization of the detainees were carried out.
It was at this time that the Prosecutor’s Office requested the precautionary measure of fortnightly signature, national roots and prohibition to approach the property, which was finally accepted by the Judge of the Curanilahue Guarantee Court, Maruja Chávez.
The Government, on this occasion, through the lawyer of the Presidential Delegation of Bío Bío, Felipe Guerrero, requested preventive detention for all detainees.
That’s what he asked for Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, when asked about the arrest of the gang dedicated to the theft of wood.
Also, the Forestal Arauco’s lawyer, Enrique Hernández, He also requested preventive detention.
However, he requested that those arrested for driving the trucks be placed under partial house arrest, while for “El Mentolato” he requested total house arrest.
This precautionary measure was also not considered by the court, this because despite having a history, as the Bío Bío presidential delegate, Daniela Dresdner, associated with arrests for drugs and robberies, there are no convictions against the ringleader.
Parliamentarians criticized the Prosecutor’s Office
The resolution of the Court of Guarantee of Curanilahue generated immediate reactions on the part of the DC deputy, Eric Aedo, driver in addition to Timber Theft Law and also president of the investigative commission on the matter.
In this regard, the parliamentarian assured that the Public Ministry must give an explanation for having requested the precautionary measures of biweekly signature, national roots and prohibition of approaching the property.
The parliamentarian added that “El Mentolato” is a dangerous person who hires people to exercise violence and who is dedicated to committing various crimes, hence his nickname.
In parallel, he showed his doubts, even more so when it is the regional prosecutor of Bío Bío, Marcela Cartagena, the preferred prosecutor to investigate these crimes.
Along the same lines, he gave his opinion to the UDI deputy and former governor of Arauco, Flor Weisse, who said that it is difficult to understand that people caught in flagrante delicto have been released and with precautionary measures that, in his opinion, are not consistent with the seriousness of the facts.
The prosecutor, Luis Muñoz, He said that according to the records that were handled at the time of formalization, where there were no aggravating circumstances for the detainees, such as pending cases or previous convictions, it was decided to request these precautionary measures classified as low intensity.
In addition, the court determined an investigation period of 5 months, due to the complexity of the case.
According to the records, the detainees moved with stolen wood and with false invoice guides, which, as reported in the room, were from another species of tree and were dated 2014.