Dictatorship fined members of Puerta de la Montana’s ministry nearly a billion dollars

By the dictatorships of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, the judiciary—an institution that has been used as a repressive arm in Nicaragua—in sentencing 12 to 15 years in prison In addition to fines to members of the Mountain Gateway Ministry 80 million dollars per person.

LA PRENSA learned that 11 members, plus two lawyers – who were sentenced to 10 years in prison – were sentenced on March 19 at the Fifth District Criminal Court for the alleged crime of “aggravated money laundering”. Trial in Managua.

The legal representative and manager were sentenced to 15 years in prison. Nine other accused members of the religious ministry were sentenced to 12 years each.

The fine imposed on them, multiplied by the 11 convictions, amounts to $880 million, which is close to a billion dollars.

We invite you to read: Ministry of Puerto de la Montana says the accusations from the regime “may be more political than legal motivation”

The hearing took place in the Tenth Criminal District Court of Hearing, where Ortega Judge Gloria Maria Saavedra Corrales appears as head, who is in charge of expropriation of private properties such as the Central American University (UCA). It has also prosecuted those detained for political reasons as part of a network of officials who have subjected their decisions to the will of the regime.

Condemned

To Walner Omier Blandón Ochoa41 years old and his wife MARICELA DE FATIMA MEJIA RUIZ, 40 years old, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. According to what John Britton Hancock told LA PRENSA, the first is the legal representative of the Ministry of Puerta de la Montana in Nicaragua and the wife, who worked as an administrator.

The other nine sentenced to 12 years in prison are: Jose Luis Orozco Urrutia, 47 no; Alvaro Daniel Escobar Cabrera42; Juan Carlos Chavarria Zapata; Marcos Sergio Hernandez Geron57; Juan Luis Moncada51; Orvin Alexis Moncada Castellano25; Harry Lanning Rios Bravo45; Manuel de Jesus Rios Flores53 and Cesar Facundo Berglin Miranda43 years old.

Read the details in: Judge finds members of Puerta de la Montana guilty

In addition, lawyers ISABEL CRISTINA ACEVEDO SOLIS And MARICARMEN ESPINOZA SEGURA, whom they imposed the same penalty as the other members of the ministry. The men are detained in the Jorge Navarro Penitentiary System, better known as La Modelo, in Tipitapa, while the women are in La Esperanza prison.

A defense application was filed

This newspaper also learned that before the sentencing, the defense of the convicts had already filed an appeal where they deplored that the process was conducted under numerous irregularities; Among them is the lack of information about the case, including the facts of the charge, the evidence and the defense file.

Similarly, they state that they are not allowed to have any contact with the convicts. “There is zero access to the file,” said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Along the same lines, they allege flagrant violations of human rights in the appeal. “They don’t get visits from defence, families or parcels,” the source said.

Read here: President of Puerta de la Montaña: “The abuse is clear. There is no religious freedom or justice in Nicaragua”

“The abuse is clear. There is no religious freedom or justice in Nicaragua,” Britten Hancock declared in an interview with this medium. The ministry of Puerta de la Montana, before the brutal persecution, carried out eight major propaganda campaigns in the country in 2023, with the support, support and assistance of the dictatorship. had

They request precautionary measures from the IACHR

As part of international efforts, the Ministry of Puerta de la Montana has requested assistance from the firm ADF International to raise the case with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and request precautionary measures in favor of members.

“ADF International decided to take the case and bring it to the IACHR, and a request for precautionary measures has been presented in favor of the eleven religious leaders, who want to protect their rights to health, life and physical integrity as it is known. “Prison conditions in La Modelo and La Esperanza do not meet international standards,” a ministry official confirmed.

According to the website, ADF International is a faith-based legal advocacy organization that protects fundamental freedoms and promotes the inherent dignity of all people. “It promotes the God-given right to live and speak the truth,” reads a quote from the organization’s description.

In fact, in September 2023, the same organization presented a petition for justice by Monsignor Rolando José Alvarez, Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, who was first sentenced to 26 years in prison and more than a year later, in January 2024, he was released from prison and Exiled to Rome with other priests.

Three are under investigation

Because of these events, the police are investigating Americans John Britton Hancock, president of Puerta de la Montana, and Jacob Britton Hancock, a member of this organization. Also Cassandra May Hancock, wife of Jacob.

“They are being criminally prosecuted,” the source said.

The aforementioned investigators arrived in Nicaragua in 2013, with the credit of Bruce Wagner, owner of an aviation company in the United States and owner of the evangelistic ministry Shaking the Nations.

Also Read: US Congressman Asks Regime For Information About Allegations Against Ministry Of Puerta de la Montana

According to a communication from the Ortega Police on the 18th of that month, members of the Ministry of Puerta de la Montana were captured in December 2023. On January 17, 2024, the Ministry of Public Affairs released a statement reporting that it had conducted an investigation in which it found that the priests of the Evangelical Church of Puerta de la Montana had made large movements of money for “certified philanthropic purposes”.

Since the arrests, the evangelical organization has denied the accusations made by the prosecutor’s office against its members in Nicaragua. On December 20, 2023, the Ministry of the Interior (MIGOB), now the Ministry of the Interior, ordered the cancellation of the legal personality of ten non-profit organizations (NPOs), through Ministerial Agreement 117-2023 published in La Gaceta. ), this included the Order of Puerta de la Montana, Inc., through which the Ministry of Puerta de la Montana operated.