Thursday, March 27, 2008

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila: 'Charges are Totally False'

News

Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila today said election-related charges against him are "totally false" and "politically motivated."
In a five-minute televised speech, Acevedo Vila called on the Puerto Rican people "not to despair" and vowed he will continue to serve as governor with his cabinet.
"That is my job and I will fulfill it," he said.
Acevedo Vila was charged Thursday with 19 counts in a campaign finance probe, including conspiracy to violate U.S. federal campaign laws and giving false testimony to the FBI.
Calling the charges "lies and fabrications," Acevedo Vila said he will fight the charges brought against him by federal authorities. "That will be shown as the process progresses," he said.
Saying that "they want blood," Acevedo Vila rejected that he has illegally used public or campaign funds.
He did not take questions from reporters who were present at the speech delivered at La Fortaleza.
"I love Puerto Rico," he said, adding that he trusts that justice will prevail.
-- Clarisel Gonzalez

5 comments:

Clarisel said...

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila has been released after surrending to federal authorities this morning on corruption charges.
"I will give this fight for Puerto Rico as I have given all fights," Acevedo Vila told reporters after he was released from his appearance at the federal courthouse. He was released on his own recognizance.
For up-to-date coverage, go to www.wapa.tv.

Anonymous said...

As a diehard New Yorker, who has been living in San Juan for the past 16 years, I can proudly say that this governor and the people of Puerto Rico deserve this humiliation. You can't complain about the Feds meddling with the island's political affairs when the governor himself is a superdelegate of the Democratic party and is backing Obama. This is what happpens when hypocrites
continue fighting for a colonial status and not for independence or statehood.

Anonymous said...

I am bemused by his position of innocence, a position that only the uneducated populace of Puerto Rico would buy into. Vila will go the way of other corrupt U.S. officials - jail. Puerto Rico needs to wake up and face reality - it is a seriously broken culture.

Clarisel said...

http://www.wapa.tv/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7663&Itemid=57&videonews=1&source=wapalertas

Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila says he will run for re-election despite pressure to step down to confront his court case. Here's a link of a news report from Wapa.

Clarisel said...

The AP is reporting that the attorney for Puerto Rico's governor says a federal judge has thrown out most of the federal corruption charges against his client.
Attorney Thomas Green says the judge dismissed 15 of the 24 charges against Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila related to alleged campaign finance violations.