Justice secretary defends agency following favorable appeals ruling in DIPAC files case

By THE STAR STAFF

Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres said Wednesday in response to the ruling by the island Court of Appeals related to a request for information on the investigation files of the Division of Public Integrity and Office of Comptroller Affairs (DIPAC by its acronym in Spanish) that “[t]he Department of Justice has acted at all times in accordance with the legal framework and with due respect for the separation of powers.”

“We categorically reject the insinuation that any official is being protected within this Department,” Gómez Torres said. “It is a serious allegation, made without a single document to support it. The Department of Justice has nothing to hide, but it does have the legal duty to protect the integrity of investigations, as well as the rights and safety of witnesses and victims of crime.”

Tuesday’s appeals court ruling confirmed the sentence issued by the Court of First Instance and dismissed an action filed by Sen. Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz.

The justice secretary reiterated that she recognizes the constitutional power of investigation of the Legislative Assembly and reaffirmed her willingness to continue collaborating and providing all information that, in accordance with the law, can be disclosed without compromising present or future investigations or the rights of the people involved.

On June 3, the Justice Department denied the legislator’s allegation about the existence of corruption cases filed without investigation, which arose after a request for information from the senator about the statistics on cases resolved in DIPAC.

At that time, the agency clarified that the cases were handled through different processes.

Hernández Ortiz, the Popular Democratic Party minority leader in the upper chamber, also responded Wednesday to the appeals court ruling.

“We disagree with the restrictive interpretation the Court of Appeals applied to the concept of legal standing,” he said. “In the coming days, we will evaluate the course of action and the legal alternatives available to us, including the possibility of taking this matter to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.”