THE long-awaited trial of suspects for the murder of radio journalist Parmenio Medina began this week at the San José Criminal Court. Infamous murder suspect Father Minor Calvo, along with eight other suspects who are serving preventive prison orders, will be tried for homicide in the following months, with no fixed date for a verdict, according to the tribunal.
The Catholic priest and Omar Chávez, a businessman, are the alleged intellectual authors of the murder of the Colombian born journalist, which took place in 2001. The trial officially began in October with interrogations for minor causes, including that of John Gilberto Gutiérrez, one of the alleged middlemen accused of hiring the journalist’s killers (TT, Oct. 21).
Medina, who produced a series of investigative reports denouncing financial irregularities at the now-defunct Catholic radio station Radio María – founded and administered by Calvo, and financially managed by Chávez – was shot in the head and torso outside his home in the province of Heredia (TT, July 13, 2001).
