Senate excludes candidate for comptroller general over prior sanction

The Senate's Constitutional Affairs Commission has excluded lawyer Marino Zaragoza Medina from the race to become the next comptroller general of the Republic. The decision stems from an administrative sanction previously issued against him by the Comptroller General's Office.

Senator Javier Zacarías Irún, the commission's president, officially notified Zaragoza Medina of his disqualification, citing impediments outlined in Article 5 of Law No. 276/94. This law governs the organic and functional aspects of the Comptroller General's Office. Zaragoza Medina was one of nine candidates scheduled to present their proposals the following week.

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The postulation of the lawyer is facing impediments established in Article 5 of Law No. 276/94, for which reason he was excluded from the process.

The commission's decision relied on a report signed by the current comptroller, Camilo Benítez Aldana, who is also a candidate for re-election. Benítez's report, in response to a request for information from the commission, identified Zaragoza Medina as the sole exception among consulted officials facing a prior administrative sanction. The report referenced Resolution CGR No. 253/17 for a sanction related to a "second-degree offense," though the specific reason for the sanction was not detailed.

This administrative sanction was deemed sufficient by the commission to disqualify Zaragoza Medina under current legislation. The exclusion highlights a procedural hurdle in the selection process, particularly as the report was issued by a fellow candidate vying for the same position.

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There are no prior administrative sanctions, except for the one recorded in the case of official Marino Zaragoza Medina, for a second-degree offense, according to Resolution CGR No. 253/17.