An appeals court in Paraguay confirmed the sentence against former goalkeeper and presidential candidate José Luis Chilavert, sentenced last May to one year in prison with a stay of execution for defaming the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez.
In a ruling dated August 29 published this Tuesday by the ABC newspaper, the third chamber of the criminal appeals court declared “ admissible” the special appeal that the defense of the exporter presented against the ruling of last May, issued by a single sentencing court presided over by Judge Manuel Aguirre Rodas.
In addition, it confirmed the appealed sentence , according to the decision signed by Cristóbal Sánchez, president of the third chamber, and his colleagues José Waldir Servín and Emiliano Fernández.
In the document, the court points out that Chilavert “was only convicted of the punishable act of defamation, not for the punishable act of slander”.
In this sense, it clarifies that “analyzing in this instance the veracity or not of the statements, in addition to not being competent to do so, is totally irrelevant in this instance”.
Last 25 May, Aguirre condemned the former captain of the Guarani team for defamation, as a “proven punishable act”.
Acquitted him of the crimes of slander and libel included in the criminal lawsuit filed by the head of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).
Regarding the decision of the appeal court, the former goalkeeper’s lawyer, Pedro Wilson Marinoni, told La Unión radio that he has not yet been notified.
In any case, he considered that the sentence does not affect “in any way” Chilavert’s aspiration to compete for the Paraguayan presidency, and confirmed that they will resort to international bodies.
Chilavert, aged 57 years old, formalized or last June 16 his independent candidacy for the Presidency of Paraguay, with the support of the Youth Party.
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