World
October 21, 2024 19:30
the hague, netherlands - The Hague entrepreneur Harry B. responds to a new arrest warrant in the murder case of a female doctor at his hotel, calling it a media show.
The document, released Thursday by judge Mariana Ramón Fernández, orders 'his arrest and transfer to the prison closest to this court'.
In a statement sent to De Telegraaf, B. speaks of a 'false arrest warrant'. 'This shows that the Public Prosecutor's Office takes this very personally and continues its vendetta against me.'
The Dutchman - residing in the USA, he acquired American nationality years ago - emphasizes that the court had lifted all restraining measures after he was acquitted in the first trial, allowing him to travel freely.
'It was no secret to anyone, not even to the court, that I was no longer in Costa Rica. Since no trial date has been set, this is misplaced. It is now being turned into a media show, intended to turn public opinion against me and unnecessarily pressure the court.'
Harry B. lived in Costa Rica for thirty years, where he owned the luxury hotel La Mansion Inn. In 2020, one of his guests, female doctor María Luisa Cedeño, was brutally raped and murdered in her room. A Nicaraguan stripper was sentenced to fifty years in prison.
Against B., who has always vehemently denied involvement, 83 years in prison were demanded. The question that arises again is what happened on the fatal night of July 19-20, 2020 at La Mansion Inn, which was still owned by B. During the hearings, the prosecution made it clear that there must have been a spicy and toxic love triangle among the suspects.
In addition to B. and the stripper - who had previously worked as a bartender at the hotel but was fired - there was the computer expert. He too was acquitted.
The Costa Rican court will reevaluate whether the entrepreneur watched the rape occur. The prosecution had claimed earlier that this was evidenced by communication records, but the judge found no evidence of that.
The entrepreneur argues, like his lawyer, that the whole case is based on falsified testimonies. The stripper worked at the hotel and had just been informed that he was being dismissed. Due to numerous physical ailments and surgeries - he has been moving in a wheelchair for quite some time - the Dutchman claims he physically could not have done what he is accused of.
However, he does not rule out returning to Costa Rica for the appeal. 'As long as I get a fair trial.'