Cover-up trial of priest Father David Cosca following the alleged murder cover-up!
Updated: Nov 12, 2019
Father David Cosca Republic of Panamá
Father David Cosca most certainly is not a believer of human rights; he passed just feet from Mr Tuffney when he was chained to the front bars of the La Palma prison in full public view on 15th June 2013. He arrived at the boat ramp located at the back of the police station, he would not answer Mr Tuffney’s calls, or those shouting to him through the bars of the jail, he just walked straight past without even looking or acknowledging the inmates who were deprived of liberty, so now hopefully when he cries for help, on his way to jail no one will listen to his calls, justice will always prevail!
Cover-up trial of the priest to follow murder's sentencing
A seven-person jury, made up of six women and one man, on Friday, August 16th 2019 declared Hidadi Santos Saavedra guilty of the death of Eduardo Calderón, in the El Panama hotel.
Calderón was found bleeding in one of the halls of the hotel bleeding on July 7, 2018, so he was transferred to Hospital Santo Tomás, where he died the next day.
Homicide prosecutor, Emeldo Márquez, has called for a 30 -year jail term.
Meanwhile, Father Cosca, a Catholic priest who reserved and paid for the room where the murder took place is awaiting trial on cover-up charges. During the trial, the court heard allegations of Room 47, known as “the office” being used for sexual trysts, including “threesomes.”
Cosca was suspended from priestly duties at Divina Misericordia when the murder investigation began but women supporters from his parish were in court during the trial.
The Trial Court will announce the sentence for Hidadi Santos on Monday, August 19th 2019.
The charge of an alleged cover-up in the case of the crime of Eduardo Calderón was imputed to the priest David Cosca, the afternoon of this Thursday, June 20th 2019, by the judge of Guarantees, Adrián Hernández.
The decision was based on Article 391 of the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Code which states that "who after committing a crime, without having participated in it, helps to ensure his benefit, to avoid the investigations of the authority or to avoid the action of this or upon fulfilment of the sentence, he will be punished with imprisonment of one to three years or its equivalent in fine days or weekend arrest.”
The Prosecutor asked for precautionary measures for the religious people, but the judge rejected the measure because Cosca has always collaborated with the process. In addition, it established a period of four months for the Public Ministry to finish the investigation.
Before the imputation hearing; the chief prosecutor of Homicide and Feminicide, Emeldo Márquez.
He stressed that the Public Ministry had the elements of conviction to achieve the imputation of the priest for concealment in the case of the homicide that occurred on July 7, 2018, at the El Panama hotel.
He added that the prosecution will bring a series of elements of knowledge for the court to decide on the request for imputation of charges to be filed.
For this imputation hearing, the prosecution only cited Cosca, who last year the Catholic Church separated from its obligations in its parish.
Marquez said the prosecution has an objective investigation and recalled that since last year they have legalized proceedings.
For his part, Cosca's defense lawyer, Javier Quintero, indicated that since the incident occurred at the El Panama hotel, the priest was in absolute availability to serve in the investigations.
Quintero recalled that at the time a mobile device was required, he delivered it and cooperated with the investigation.