A federal judge has granted an injunction to former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya Austin, definitively suspending an arrest warrant issued for him.
Judge Luz María Ortega Tlapa ruled Wednesday that the crimes of which Lozoya is accused do not merit preventative incarceration, and that the former CEO may remain free until his trial ends.
Ortega also granted injunctions to members of Lozoya’s family, protecting them against any arrest warrants that may be issued relating to the case.
The warrant for Lozoya had been issued by another judge on May 26 in connection with Pemex’s 2014 purchase of a fertilizer plant from steelmaker Altos Hornos de México.
Ortega’s ruling does not protect Lozoya from arrest for other possible crimes.
Alonso Alcira, owner and president of Altos Hornos, was arrested on May 28 in Mallorca, Spain, and faces extradition to Mexico for charges relating to the fertilizer plant.
Pemex paid Altos Hornos US $475 million for the plant in 2014 as part of a strategy to promote domestic fertilizer production and reduce dependence on imports. But according to an investigation by the current government, the plant was worth no more than $50 million.
Bank accounts belonging to Lozoya and his family remain frozen, and Lozoya has been barred from holding public office for 10 years for failing to fully disclose information about his assets.
Source: El Financiero (sp), Milenio (sp)
