Spain has accepted the extradition of three Costa Ricans, suspects in the kidnapping and disappearance of sportsbook owner William Sean Creighton Kopko, known as “Tony”.
The request was made by Costa Rica on February 6. On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers of Spain responded to the Asesoría Técnica y Relaciones Internacionales del Ministerio Público (OATRI) – the Costa Rican judicial body in charge of getting the Ticos – Morales Vega (25), is mother Vega Aguirre (45) and his girlfriend Solis Chaves (24) – back to Costa Rica.
Morales Vega is considered the leader of a group of some 12 people involved in the kidnapping of the gringo, whose whereabouts are unknown since September of last year.
Desarticulada la organización criminal que secuestró en Cosa Rica ????????al empresario estadounidense William Sean Creighton Kopko. Solicitaban para su liberación cinco millones de dólares en criptomonedashttps://t.co/jhTywvhZIe pic.twitter.com/fJIoIrYZY6
— Guardia Civil ???????? (@guardiacivil) January 14, 2019
Among the suspects are Morales Vega’s uncle identified as Vega Aguirre (46) and grandmother, Aguirre Leal (71) who are in preventive detention at the San Sebastian jail (the uncle) and Vilma Curling women’s prison, formerly known as Buen Pastor (the grandmother). A third person, a friend of Morales Vega, identified as Sanabria Abarca (350 is also being detained. All three insist they had nothing to do with the disappearance of the foreigner.
Another man, identified as Martínez Chacón, is also being investigated. All four are defended by the same lawyer, Helberto Moreira, who considers that the “Tony” could be alive and lying about his whereabouts.
More:
- OIJ directs 11 raids in Costa Rica and Spain to locate the owner of missing ‘sportsbook’ owner
- From Moravia to Zaragoza: How Did The Alleged Tico Kidnappers Make It To Spain?
- Ticos Arrested In Kidnapping of American Lived It Up in Spain
In addition, the lawyer affirms that the American could have had a change of identity given he was wanted by authorities in the United States.
“The record shows that he was being summoned to appear (in the US) before his disappearance and alleged kidnapping,” said the defense lawyer.
Moreira said does not rule out that the “Tony” and the Morales Vega (detained in Spain) knew each other as acquaintances.
