González Daher Clan Fails to Claim Funds from Seized Property Sales

An appeals court has rejected a bid by Ramón González Daher and his son Fernando González Karjallo to claim money from the sale of properties seized as part of their conviction for usury and money laundering. The defense had argued that the funds should be released, but the court found their reasoning baseless.

The case involves a request for the extraction of funds from the sale of seized real estate. The defense, represented by lawyer María Gloria Núñez, appealed a lower court's decision that denied their request. The appeals court, comprising judges Paublino Escobar, Arnulfo Arias, and Adriana Giagni, declared the appeal inadmissible.

Núñez had argued that the properties in question were acquired decades before the current penal code, which includes money laundering and asset forfeiture, came into effect. She contended that the confiscation order, stemming from a December 2021 sentence that convicted Ramón González Daher to 15 years for usury, money laundering, and false reporting, and Fernando González Karjallo to 5 years for money laundering, should not apply to these pre-existing assets.

However, the appellate judges disagreed, questioning the defense's unsubstantiated claims. The original ruling by Execution Judge Sandra Kirchhofer had already dismissed the defense's request, citing the definitive sentence that ordered the seizure of assets belonging to both convicted individuals. The court's decision upholds the confiscation of these properties and denies the González Daher family access to the proceeds from their sale.