The trial against seven health workers for the death of Diego Armando Maradona has been canceled Thursday by the two remaining judges of the Court after the magistrate’s Tuesday challenging Julieta Makintach for your participation in a documentary about the process.
“We consider that the reasons that determined the challenge of Dr. Makintach lead us to declare the nullity of this oral trial,” said Judge Maximiliano Savarino, who with this decision decreed the end of the process, initiated two and a half months ago and that culminated this Thursday at his hearing number 21.
“We consider that the intervention of Dr. Makintach determines the nullity of the debate,” added the judge, who highlighted “the lack of objectivity and interest in the result of the file” by the magistrate recused, which also said “I did not intervene impartially in the development of the debate.” After this decision, justice must overcome a new court, something that could take months.
Savarino defended that both he and Judge Verónica Di Tomasso fulfilled their duty but that Makintach’s actions violated the right of the sides of being heard by an impartial court, “causing damage to the accusing parties and defenses.”
The trial began on March 11 and today a total of 21 hearings were held, in which more than 40 witnesses gave a statement, including the daughters of former soccer player, Dalma, Gianinna and Jana Maradona.
The nullity of the trial had been requested last Tuesday by the Prosecutor’s Office and the lawyers of almost all complaints and defenses, after the departure of Judge Makintach.
The magistrate was formally challenged after the exhibition of multiple evidence of her participation in a documentary about the trial, including the script and trailer of the miniseries.
In the trailer, images of Maradona mixed with planes of Judge Makintach parade through the courts with electronic background music were observed, while the script included scenes of the magistrate in her house, dressing and putting on makeup to go to the court.
Diego Maradona died on November 25, 2020, at 60, during a home hospitalization in the town of Tigre, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
The defendants in the declared trial on Thursday were the psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, the neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, the psychologist Carlos Díaz, the doctor and coordinator of the company Swiss Medical Nancy Forlini, the nurse Ricardo Almirón and the head of nurses Mariano Perroni.
