Paraguay's JEM archives case against judge who blocked bank merger

Paraguay's Jurado de Enjuiciamiento de Magistrados (JEM), the body responsible for judging judicial officials, has archived a case against Civil and Commercial Court Judge Juan Francisco Blanco Bogado. The accusation, brought forward eight months ago by Banco Atlas's representative, Felino Amarilla, alleged judicial misconduct for issuing a precautionary measure that thwarted the merger between Banco Atlas and Banco Familiar.

The JEM's decision to dismiss the case was supported by a majority, including the body's president, Alicia Pucheta, a former Supreme Court minister. Pucheta, who was the lead opinion-giver, argued that the accusation did not align with the grounds stipulated in the JEM's governing statute. Her vote, along with those of other members, led to the rejection and archiving of the complaint against Judge Blanco.

Specifically, the accusation detailed four points of alleged misconduct. One key point involved the judge's alleged allowance of a lawyer to participate in a trial without properly establishing their legal standing concerning ITTI SAECA and ITT USA LLC, contrary to civil procedure codes. Pucheta addressed this point, stating that based on the case records, the accusation lacked sufficient basis for proceeding.