By Thelma Mejía
TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 26 1999 (IPS)

The anti-corruption fight in Honduras becomes increasingly difficult as more investigations reveal that police, government officials, lawyers and even judges are involved in smuggling and fraud.

An investigation unfolding over the last two weeks showed that stolen cars have been “legalised” in the northern city of San Pedro Sula by falsifying documentation, and then smuggled to Guatemala and El Salvador to be sold.

Inquiries by the Attorney General’s Office and the police uncovered the city’s “legal mafia,” allegedly comprised of judges, public prosecutors, lawyers and the regional Interpol (International Police) chief, Martín Pérez Suazo.

Investigators indicated that Pérez Suazo, now in prison, had authorised the sales of stolen vehicles that were in Interpol custody, receiving commission payments in exchange, which he shared with lawyers, at least two judges and other justice officials.

In his comments on the case, Honduran High Court president Oscar Armando Avila said the fight against corruption will prove to be “an uphill battle” without help from the public.

Regarding the government’s judicial branch, Avila stated, “It is a disgrace to accept that our employees are involved in these crimes.”

“Though we are beginning to clean house, I want to make it clear that this case of ‘laundering’ stolen cars involves not only justice officials, but also the police, the customs authority, and more than one public prosecutor,” affirmed the High Court president.

Scandals damage the “nation’s image overseas, and the media must be more responsible when it comes to publishing their stories,” said Avila, “these cases harm the country, and our dirty laundry must be washed at home.”

He added that the Court is promoting a “clean-up operation” in the judicial branch, but if the nation really wants to fight corruption, “all sectors must have the political will to do so.”

The scandal around the smuggling of stolen cars is not the only corruption issue that has won the public’s attention.

Another case rocking the political arena in recent days involves tax evasion and fraud charges against Teófilo Martell, former Comptroller General and current ambassador to Switzerland.

Martell and his ex-wife, Miriam Gutiérrez (currently a fugitive from the law), have been fingered for illegally bringing a half- million dollars worth of home appliances and whiskey into the country.

The shipment originated in Panama and was inspected by Honduran authorities in the southeastern region of El Amatillo, meaning high-level police officials and customs agents are also implicated in the case.

Investigators from the Attorney General’s Office and the police discovered several contraband appliances in Martell’s home, as well as hidden compartments where he is presumed to have hidden additional merchandise.

Attorney Héctor Tróchez provided documentation to the local media, allegedly proving that Martell had been involved in smuggling since his days as Comptroller General, using the government department’s different offices to hide illegal goods.

Martell held the post from 1990 to 1996 and had a reputation for throwing lavish parties for the press. Now, apparently, his term may be characterised for supporting people involved in corrupt activities.

“I cannot understand why the authorities did not detain the former Comptroller when they found evidence of contraband in his home,” stated Tróchez.

“If it had been anyone else you can be sure they would have been arrested, but because (Martell) is a former government official, justice and laws seem to operate differently,” he added.

Tróchez stated that he would file legal charges against Martell for smuggling, complicity and tax evasion.

The local media reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing to revoke Martell’s ambassadorship. The ministry is apparently uncomfortable with allegations that Martell was involved in smuggling, one of the oldest forms of corruption in Honduras.

Martell, however, claims he is the “victim” of a plot by his ex- wife. After praying with several journalists, he declared forgiveness for his detractors, ” because I am innocent and I am not a smuggler.”

These two major Honduran criminal investigations have occurred scarcely one month after a report by the independent watchdog organisation Transparency International ranked Honduras as the second most corrupt country in Latin America.

This questionable honour upset president Carlos Flores, who said the report was “irresponsible and biased.”

Other international organisations are also investigating the fate of foreign loans to Honduras, reported participants in a seminar on transparency in Central America. The Inter-American Development Bank and the Central American Economic Integration Bankhe sponsored the seminar, held earlier this month in Tegucigalpa.

Political analyst Víctor Meza reported that corruption has reached the point that “it seems we are being governed by small mafias and criminal groups.”

“The State is losing the game,” said Meza, “and this is our wake-up call to demand greater efficiency and effectiveness from authorities in the fight against impunity and corruption.”

“The fact that a former Comptroller is linked to smuggling only proves that we have people in key posts who apparently have broken the law their entire lives, which is a product of impunity in this country,” Meza affirmed.

“The time has come to take a good look at ourselves and, instead of criticising the Transparency International reports,” we must “learn important lessons for our fight against corruption,” he concluded.

Excerpt: