Due to a scandal that has cast doubt on the success of the well-known case, a key judge in the trial of late Argentine football star Diego Maradona’s medical team resigned on Tuesday.
Julieta Makintach, known as the “judge of god,” dissented after it became clear she had been filming a racy miniseries about the ongoing trial, potentially violating a number of ethics standards.
At the age of 60, Maradona underwent brain surgery and passed away in November 2020.
His seven-person medical team is accused of gross negligence in his home convalescence.
After a string of police raids and a one-week suspension of the case, Makintach, 47, was charged with violating her impartiality, selling influence, and even bribery for her role in the documentary miniseries “Divine Justice.”
In a courtroom video that featured Makintach strutting high heels through the streets of justice while grim details about the footballing legend’s demise were revealed, the film was shown.
Also Read: Cuban Olympic Organization Declares Denied US Visas
The miniseries would follow Makintach as she “reconstructs the death of Maradona and some painful milestones of his life related to abandonment,” according to the script.
In a violation of court regulations, the footage appeared to contain allegedly unauthorised recordings made inside the courtroom.
The hearing on Tuesday featured insults, repudiations, shouting, and tears.
Prosecutors’ attorney Patricio Ferrari blasted Makintach for acting “like an actress and not a judge” in a heated exchange.
Rodolfo Baque, the defense attorney, jumped out of his chair as the trailer was playing. at the judge’s discretion.
Gianinna Maradona’s daughter tried to calm him, but Veronica Ojeda and her ex-partner, Veronica Maradona, both started sobbing uncontrollably.
Makintach eventually said she had “no choice” but to recuse herself as one of the three justices in the case, sat with her head bowed, bit her lip, and sat with her lip.
“Dark, ugly, and lonely”
Her removal could potentially derail a trial being watched by football diehards all over the world and cause embarrassment to Argentina’s judiciary system.
Maradona, who is regarded as one of the greatest players in history, passed away from heart failure and acute pulmonary embolism.
If found guilty of homicide with probable intent, those responsible for his medical care could spend eight to twenty years in prison.
The charges relate to the circumstances surrounding his care and how they decided to allow him to recover from extensive surgery at home.
Gianinna Maradona claims that her father was kept “in a dark, ugly, and lonely place” by his caregivers, who were more concerned with his well-being than his welfare.
On Thursday, the court will decide whether the trial will continue or be halted before being resumed.
Some plaintiffs have argued that the trial has been tarnished by scandal.
“Everyone now feels that this is compromised,” said Mario Baudry, Maradona’s ex-partner Ojeda’s attorney.
Starting fresh from scratch is the healthiest idea, he continued.
