Former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas

Quito, November 11 (RHC)-- In Quito, the Court of Appeals of the National Court of Justice announced Thursday the annulment of the eight-year sentence against the former vice-president of Ecuador Jorge Glas and six others sanctioned for the Singue case for alleged embezzlement in the awarding of an oil exploitation contract.

"The State was never harmed with that contract, so I am calm; I was expecting this," Wilson Pastor, former Minister of Hydrocarbons, one of the defendants, told the press.  According to what was reported, there was a violation of the due process and the defense of the defendants, which is why it was annulled.

The Attorney General's Office estimated damage to the State of US$ 28.4 million, a thesis rejected by the Court of Appeals.  Currently, Glas has two final sentences corresponding to six and eight years in prison, the first for a case of illicit association and the second for aggravated bribery.

With the unanimous decision announced by the Court of Appeals, the former Ecuadorian vice-president will be able to request the unification of sentences and thus access to pre-release, since previously it was not feasible because the Singue case was pending.