Governor: Allegations of meddling in gay trap singer’s murder investigation will be examined
By The Star Staff
The island Justice Department is following up on a probe that had begun in April 2021 into whether former Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced and a chief prosecutor diverted the investigation into the killing of urban singer and LGBTTQUI activist Kevin Fret.
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia confirmed the information Tuesday at a news conference.
Kevin Fret, a well known gay trap artist, was murdered in San Juan’s Santurce neighborhood on Jan. 10, 2019.
The allegations reportedly are that Vázquez Garced, facing corruption charges in another case, and former chief of prosecutors Olga Castellón obstructed the investigation.
“I learned from the media, but I know, I know, that Secretary Domingo Emmanuelli will take action on the matter,” Pierluisi said. “When I say take action on the matter, I mean to investigate if there was any irregularity and to correct it because the Department has jurisdiction over the case.”
“This happened, allegedly, before the beginning of this administration and the incumbency of Domingo Emanuelli, but he is going to take action on the matter,” he added.
Allegations about the former governor’s involvement first came out in 2021.
Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández said in written remarks that he ordered an internal probe into prosecutor Bethzaida Quiñones’ allegations that Castellón and Vázquez Garced stopped the inquiry into the singer’s killing.
Quiñones was the prosecutor in charge of investigating the killing.
Two years ago, Puerto Rican reggaetón star Don Omar insinuated that another singer named Ozuna and others had bribed the Justice Department to stop officials from interviewing him about the killing.
“From the documents examined so far, there is no deviation from the powers conferred by law on the Office of the Chief Prosecutor during the past administration,” Emanuelli Hernández said. “However, there should be no doubt that if evidence of any improper intervention or action is found, it will be investigated without distinction of person. We are not going to put the integrity of the Department of Justice and its officials at risk for anything or anyone.”
Vázquez Garced faces a separate indictment along with others in federal court over an alleged bribery scheme to benefit her gubernatorial campaign.