Start of the trial The oral public trial for the alleged false testimony of the taxi driver Marcelo Tagliaferro and Patricia Godoy, in a case derived from the quadruple murder of La Plata, began this Monday in the Oral and Criminal Court IV. Sources close to the case informed the Argentine News Agency that the initial session began after noon with preliminary arguments from the parties, while the list of witnesses includes 40 people, although it is expected that ultimately around 20 will testify after a reduction agreement between the prosecution, the defense, and the injured party.
Request for closure and first testimonies Before starting the testimonies, Tagliaferro's defense—represented by lawyer Gonzalo Escaray—requested that there be no journalists in the courtroom, arguing that the defendant "does not want exposure" and the request was partially accepted.
The first witness to testify was a journalist specializing in police and judicial cases, who extensively covered the quadruple murder and recalled the guidelines of the 2014 verdict of the Oral Court III, which condemned Javier "La Hiena" Quiroga and acquitted Osvaldo Martínez. In that verdict, the judges described Tagliaferro as "a interested witness", the basis of the current accusation that could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The second witness was a worker for a national television signal, who accused Tagliaferro of harassing him: "He followed me, he sent me photos of my children leaving school," he recounted. Faced with these statements, prosecutor Mariano Sibuet will request protection measures. The witness asked to testify without visual contact with the defendant, feeling intimidated, so a blackboard was placed that blocked the view between them.
Osvaldo Martínez testified Osvaldo "Alito" Martínez, the accuser and also the injured party, appeared before the judges: "I suffered a lot from the statements given by Tagliaferro and Godoy. I never saw that woman in my life."
Also, he referred to the actions of prosecutor Álvaro Garganta, who clung to those false testimonies to keep him imprisoned. Martínez pointed out that Godoy declared falsely against him: "She said that I arrived at my house in leather and bloody on the day of the murders. What she said was proven to be a lie." He also clarified: "I don't want revenge, I want Justice."
End of the day Finally, Herminia López, mother of Martínez, testified, who harshly criticized the criminal process her son went through, calling it "corrupt", and pointed against decisions made by prosecutor Álvaro Garganta and Guarantees Judge Guillermo Atencio.
The trial will continue this Tuesday from 11, with at least four new testimonies.
