The Supreme Court acquits the leaders of Ausbanc and Manos Médicas
The Supreme Court has decided to acquit the leader of Ausbanc, Luis Pineda, and that of Manos Cleans, Miguel Bernad, of the sentences of up to eight years in prison imposed for extorting banks and other entities to sign commercial agreements with them in exchange for withdraw legal actions. The judges recognize that these deals occurred but that they do not amount to the crimes of extortion and fraud for which they were convicted in the National Court: “It is not possible to identify what the deception consisted of,” the judges say about this second crime. Pineda spent three years in provisional prison for this reason.
Background of Ausbanc and Clean Hands
Luis Pineda directed for years the consumer association Ausbanc, dedicated to combating abuses by banking entities against their clients. In addition, he allied himself with the Manos Médicas union to extort the banks that he took to court. The objective was for them to sign financial agreements with them and their magazines, in exchange for withdrawing the legal actions filed against them.
Supreme Court ruling
The first sentence in the case sentenced Pineda to eight years in prison for extortion and fraud, including four years for Bernad for necessary cooperation. However, the Supreme Court has acquitted both leaders of the most serious accusations. The judges recognize that the agreements between Ausbanc and the banks occurred, but consider that they do not reach the limits of the crime of extortion. Furthermore, they do not identify the necessary elements to speak of a scam.
Consequences of acquittal
With this resolution, Luis Pineda is exonerated from the most serious accusation against him. However, he has been convicted of defamation in other cases in the past. For example, he has been forced to publish the verdict of his convictions on social networks such as Twitter and on bus shelters.
