US embassy cable - 05TEGUCIGALPA1376

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEGUCIGALPA 001376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/C, INL/PC, INL/LP, WHA/PPC, AND WHA/CEN 
STATE PASS AID FOR LAC/CAM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015 
TAGS: KCRM, KJUS, PHUM, PGOV, PREL, PINR, HO, KPOA 
SUBJECT: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST:  HONDURAN MINISTER OF 
JUSTICE CHARGED IN MIGRATION SCANDAL. 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Francisco Palmieri; 
reasons 1.4(b) and (d 
 
1.(C)  The Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime brought a 
charge of abuse of authority against ex-Minister of 
Government Jorge Ramon Hernandez Alcerro on June 14, 2005. 
The indictment is for authorizing the departure from Honduras 
of an 18 year old without the consent of both parents.  The 
abuse of authority charge could result in a penalty of 3-6 
years imprisonment.  The Special Prosecutor for Organized 
Crime, Doris Aguilar, told Attorney General Ovidio Navarro 
that she has sufficient evidence to charge Hernandez Alcerro 
for his involvement in the Migration and Passport scandal. 
Alcerro responded by attacking the prosecutor and the Public 
Ministry for being unprofessional and politically motivated. 
President Ricardo Maduro stated that the investigator's 
office should be working on more serious cases. 
 
2. (C)  Attorney General Navarro told Emboff that he told 
Aguilar to proceed, despite the wrath of his own party - the 
National Party. Navarro says that Members of the National 
Congress and others are demanding his resignation because he 
has supported his prosecutors who are aggressively 
investigating corruption.  Prosecutor Doris Aguilar stated 
that this is the first (and easiest) of a series of charges 
against Hernandez Alcerro for money laundering and 
immigration violations.  She knows that her actions will be 
criticized, but says that she has Navarro's full support. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: Navarro is in a difficult position.  It is 
the Embassy's publicly stated opinion that any effort to 
remove or to pressure the investigators to stop their 
corruption investigations would send a detrimental message to 
the international community about Honduras' commitment to 
rule of law.  It would also suggest complicit corrupt 
behavior by those seeking to influence the investigations. 
Although Navarro and the Maduro administration have publicly 
denied any pressure to end or disrupt the investigations, 
privately, Navarro told Emboff that he may tender his 
resignation or at least offer it to remove himself from the 
situation.  END COMMENT. 
Palmer