Security and Justice Sector Reform Project Quarterly Report (January 1 – March 31, 2016)

Guatemala's recently-elected government authorities were officially sworn in to office, including President Jimmy Morales, 158 members of Congress, municipal mayors, and several ministry leaders. The new members of the Constitutional Court for the period of 2016-2021 were named in March, with ten magistrates elected by the President of the Republic, the Supreme Court, Congress, the University of San Carlos, and the Guatemalan Bar Association. The Public Ministry, along with the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), moved forward with criminal processes and investigations in various corruption cases. These cases included the criminal investigation against ex-president Otto Pérez Molina and ex-vice president Roxana Baldetti, who face charges in the customs fraud scandal, "La Linea," as well as the indictment against the former Board of Directors of the Guatemalan Social Security Institute for receiving money in exchange for authorizing an anomalous contract for the treatment of patients with kidney failure. Both cases have been followed closely by the Guatemalan citizenry. In the Judicial Branch, the High Risk Tribunal tried two former members of the army who were accused of sexually enslaving 11 indigenous women from the community of Sepur Zarco thirty years ago. After the presentation of expert opinions, testimony, and evidence, the Court sentenced the accused for crimes against the duties of humanity, murder, enforced disappearance, and sexual slavery. This is the first time a national court has heard a case regarding sexual slavery that occurred in its territory. The Security and Justice Sector Reform Project continued to make progress in collaboration with its counterpart institutions, providing technical assistance and promoting institutional strengthening. Under Lower Level Result 1, Greater state capacity to manage security and justice administration, the Project continued its efforts to promote passage of the draft Organic Law of the National Civilian Police (PNC). The Project coordinated with recently inaugurated officials to include the draft law in the new government's agenda, and with representatives from the General Direction of the PNC, the Ministry of Governance, the General Secretary of the Presidency, and technical staff from PNC's Office for Institutional Planning and Development to review the law. The Project also continued to provide technical assistance to the National Institute of Forensic Science (INACIF) in its efforts to receive International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certification for its administrative processes and ISO 17025 accreditation in its Genetics, Ballistics, and Toxicology laboratories, as well as an additional lab that specializes in physiochemistry. Under Lower Level Result 2, Greater state capacity to provide security and justice for citizens, the SJSRP continued working with each of its institutional counterparts to build upon previous achievements and work toward current goals. This quarter, the PNC presented the results of the Project's ongoing support to update and digitalize the Posthumous Benefits System. Improvements made through this process allowed the system to transition from a deficit of Q.12,000,000 (approximately US$1.6 million) to a surplus of Q.30,000,000 (approximately US$3.9 million). In the Judicial Branch, the SJSRP continued to support and strengthen the pluripersonal and 24 Hour Court models, the use of oral procedures in the Appeals Courts, and the implementation of electronic notification systems. Notably, this quarter the Constitutional Court passed a regulation to implement an electronic filing system. The Project also supported the launch of the Supreme Court's Campaign, "Judges Leading the Fight against Corruption," with events in Guatemala City, Alta Verapaz, and Zacapa. In the Public Ministry, the SJSRP provided ongoing technical support to the Specialized Offices on Corruption, Extortion, and Women. Assistance included working directly with anti-corruption investigators to strengthen investigative abilities related to information finding, source questioning, and reporting. The Project also supported the development of a comprehensive attention system (SAI) to address the needs of victims of crime and violence.