(QCOSTARICA) — The Tribunal de Goicoechea (criminal court) Tuesday cleared the former president of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), Pedro Pablo Quiros, of corruption charges arising from he and his wife the private use of government owned helicopter.
Prosecutors had requested a three year sentence.
Quiros’ lawyer, Federico Campos, refuted the charge of misuse of public funds. claiming that the helicopter had been used for labor purposes. He explained the presence of Mrs. Quiros because he was convalescing from cancer and merely accompanied her husband on March 21, 2009.
“It wasn’t a romantic trip,” said Campos. Moreover, he described the helicopter as an old “piece of junk” and hardly a choice for luxury flying.
The prosecution had admitted that Quiros used the helicopter to view the damage left from the Chinchona earthquake but had made three other stops.
This was the second time the case had been tried in court.
The first time resulted in a conviction of Quiros to a year and three months in jail which was overturned by an appellate court.
Article by iNews.co.cr, with editing by the Q
