The trial over the death of Diego Armando Maradona has been rescheduled for mid-April, once again delaying the court's ruling on the guilt or innocence of the accused, including Leopoldo Luque and Agustina Cosachov. Sources in the case confirmed to Noticias Argentinas that the Oral Criminal Court (TOC) No. 7 of San Isidro resolved, just days before the debate was set to begin following the scandal over the documentary by former judge Julieta Makintach, that the trial will now start on April 14. The hearing was scheduled for March 17, but it has been postponed by a month, and now there will be only two weekly sessions instead of three as previously stipulated. When asked why the Tribunal decided on this modification, they explained that by significantly reducing the list of witnesses, «it gives the parties a reasonable time to adapt their preparation to the new testimonial evidence scheme and plan the distribution of the witnesses». Additionally, this reduction in the list is expected to shorten the duration of the trial.
«I deem it appropriate to add that this Court, since the beginning of its intervention, has maintained a firm position in order to drive the process with the greatest possible celerity and guarantee the prompt holding of the oral trial, in accordance with the principles of concentration, continuity, and reasonable term that inform the criminal process. However, when the circumstances of the process so advise, this does not prevent the Court, in the reasonable exercise of the directing powers that are incumbent upon it, from adopting rescheduling decisions such as the one hereby provided, which, far from implying an undue delay or contradicting the principles of economy and celerity, seek to ensure a more orderly, predictable, and efficient development of the oral trial, preserving the reasonable term and the other guarantees of the debate, especially when the intervening parties have coincided in the need to adapt the initially scheduled schedule,» states the document signed by the president of the Tribunal, Alberto Gaig.
