Court rejects appeal to annul ruling that freed Héctor Llaitul

SANTIAGO.-  The First Court of Appeals of Temuco unanimously decided to reject an appeal presented by the Public Ministry to annul a ruling that found the leader of Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM), Héctor Llaitul, not guilty after he was charged with burning forest machinery on the “Las Praderas” ranch in Cholchol.

 The court’s decision ratifies the verdict that had been issued in June of this year by the Second Oral Criminal Court of Temuco, which absolved Héctor Llaitul of the charge due to lack of evidence.

Llaitul had been accused of premeditating the burning of forest machinery on the “Las Praderas”, located in CholChol, along with a group of 6 to 8 other armed individuals on the night of December 25th, 2006.

The ruling acquitted Llaitul of the charge after it was determined that the evidence presented against him was not sufficient enough “to overcome the presumption of innocence” or “prove beyond a reasonable doubt” that the defendant had committed the act.