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The hearing in which it will be decided whether the former governor of Baja California, Ernesto Ruffo Appel, and seven other defendants are linked to proceedings for alleged fuel tax fraud has been taking more than 14 hours. Until now, it continues behind closed doors.

The control judge Alejandra Ramírez de la Vega directs the proceedings by videoconference from the Federal Criminal Justice Center in Almoloya de Juárez, State of Mexico. It began before eight pm on Tuesday.

Judicial sources indicate that the debate could last more than 24 hours. The complexity of the case and the volume of evidence presented by the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) lengthened the session.

The defenses of the eight defendants try to discredit nearly one hundred pieces of evidence presented by the FGR. The accusation accuses Ruffo Appel and the others of being part of a network dedicated to fuel smuggling. The alleged damage to the treasury exceeds 4 billion pesos.

At the end of the analysis, the judge will determine if there are elements to link them to proceedings for organized crime and hydrocarbon smuggling. If convicted, the former president could face up to 26 years in prison.

The Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) froze the bank accounts of the former governor of Baja California Ernesto Ruffo Appel. The measure occurs within the framework of a judicial process for alleged fuel smuggling. The information was disseminated by his daughter, Verónica Ruffo, who pointed out that the former president appeared on the list of blocked people of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).

Verónica Ruffo declared that the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has limited her father’s right to defense. He explained that this Wednesday they were denied access to a warehouse of the Ingemar company in Mexico City. There they were looking for documents that, according to her, are relevant to the case. He assured that personnel from the Prosecutor’s Office prevented entry to the property, which makes it difficult to prepare the legal strategy.

The former president’s daughter also reported that she went to the United States Embassy in Mexico. He denounced what he describes as political persecution against his father. In addition, it seeks that human rights bodies take cognizance of the case and follow up on the alleged irregularities.

For his part, Ernesto Ruffo Appel continues to appear before a control judge. The judicial authority will define their legal situation in the process for alleged fuel smuggling. So far, federal authorities have not issued a public position on the accusations by the former governor’s family.

The Memory, Dignity and Justice collective presented this Wednesday a commemorative mural for the Plenitude Crematorium case. On June 26, 386 uncremated bodies were found at that location. The families of the deceased led the event to unveil the work titled “Memory, Dignity and Justice for 386.”

A tribute that is also a complaint

The mural, painted on a wall on Paseo de la Victoria, seeks to honor the memory of the 386 people. But, according to the members of the group, it also symbolizes the pain and uncertainty that more than 1,500 families are experiencing. “We continue to search for answers and we hope to know with certainty the fate of our loved ones,” they noted.

The families affirmed that the investigation and justice process has not responded to the magnitude of the case. “We consider that there are still questions and irregularities that must be clarified with transparency,” they expressed.

“Behind every urn there is a story, a family and a life project.”

With this act, the families seek to keep the memory alive and prevent the case from being reduced to a figure. They demand that society know the truth and that what happened at the Plenitude Crematorium is not forgotten.