Peruvian Justice: 30 years for Godofredo's murderer
Published by MAC on 2005-03-02
Peruvian Justice: 30 years for Godofredo's murderer
FactortierraNews
March 02, 2005
Piura, Peru - According to Tropico Seco Ecologist Association, the Piura High Court sentenced Meléndez Zapata Atocha to 30 years imprisonment for the murder of farmer and community leader Godofredo García Baca.
The court declared Meléndez Zapata guilty of aggravated robbery and consequent death, rejecting initial charge of homicide. The sentence also requires Meléndez Zapata to pay US$3,500 to Godofredo's family and US$1,300 to the murder's key witness Ulises García. The High Court also confirmed the date Zapata killed Godofredo was March 31, 2001.
Meléndez Zapata denied his involvement in the killing during the trial, failing to reveal who paid him to kill Godofredo.
The García family lawyers believe Godofredo was murdered because he couldn't be included in the trial of 59 leaders from the Tambogrande Front of Defense who were accused of destroying Manhattan Minerals' (now Mediterranean Minerals) mining camp in Tambogrande, on February 28, 2001.
Ulises García told factortierraNews he is happy with the sentence. However, Zapata's defense reported that they will demand the sentence is quashed and will seek the opening of a re-trial at the Lima-based Supreme Court.