The vice-prosecutor for Common Crimes of the Tabasco State Prosecutor's Office (FGE), Gilberto Melquiades Miranda Díaz, announced that the supplemental investigation in the criminal case against former Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Hernán Bermúdez Requena, concluded. Now, the State Prosecutor's Office (FGE) has 15 days to present the formal accusation and move to the intermediate stage of the process, which could extend up to four months before reaching trial. Miranda Díaz emphasized that during the investigation, sufficient evidence was gathered to build a solid case against the former official, suspected of leading the criminal group 'La Barredora.' 'We have enough elements to formulate the accusation... there are testimonies and evidence that allow us to move towards a conviction sentence,' he stated. The former secretary, also known as 'Commander H' or 'The Grandfather,' faces charges of criminal association, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated extortion. He is currently being held in the Altiplano federal prison. After the accusation is presented, the intermediate stage of the accusatory criminal process will begin, where the parties will define which evidence will be presented during the oral trial. 'We are entering the intermediate stage, which is basically the preparation for the trial... there the means of proof to be presented before the tribunal are purified and determined,' he detailed. He added that this phase could last between three and four months, depending on the development of the hearings and the participation of witnesses. Miranda Díaz also revealed that there are at least four additional arrest warrants related to the same case, which are still pending enforcement, in addition to other ongoing lines of investigation. He also confirmed that the Prosecutor's Office maintains an open line of investigation related to the alleged disappearance and execution of police officers, facts that could be linked to the accused. 'We have a quite strengthened line of investigation in that sense, which will be made known in due course,' he indicated. The official highlighted that the Prosecutor's Office has the testimony of victims and protected witnesses, whose statements are a key part of the investigation file, and assured that measures have been implemented to guarantee their safety and the validity of the evidence. Regarding the development of the process, he stressed that the Prosecutor's Office seeks to avoid any error that could jeopardize the case.
