12 intervene in the investigation of the death of Deputy Commissioner Gutiérrez once the oral trial had concluded with Officer Santillán’s acquittal. He was placed in charge of an investigation commission, assigned to the Directorship of Highly Complex Investigations and Criminality. He was placed on that investigation at the request of the relatives of Deputy Commissioner Gutiérrez for having “participated previously and with success in an investigation that unraveled a large smuggling operation known publicly in the media as the famous “Parallel ‘Customs House.’” With regard to the investigation into the death of Deputy Commissioner Gutiérrez, he was able to confirm “a variety of irregularities in the investigation, as well as negligence and a lack of responsibility on the part of some public officials in the search for the truth.” He indicated that shortly after, his superior - High Commissioner Carlos Miniscarco - assigned him to another murder case, blocking him from continuing the investigation into the death of Jorge Omar 31 Gutiérrez. 71. On October 24, 2000, Mr. Roberto Arturo Rolando Freyre testified. He had been arrested by Blue Unit No. 7 and was located by Jorge Omar Gutiérrez’ relatives in their search for evidence. He stated the following before the Transitional Court No. 2 of the La Plata Department: That what I can say with regard to this incident is who gave the order to kill Gutiérrez and for what motive. That the person who gave the order to commit this homicide was Carlos Miniscarpio or Miniscarco, who at that time was Inspector Commissioner of the Buenos Aires Provincial Police. The motive was that Gutiérrez was at that time Deputy Commissioner, and he was investigating him, that is, Miniscarpio or Miniscarco, on the issue of drugs. At that time he was one of the most responsible out of a group that trafficked drugs and that was made up of seven or eight police officials, among them commissioners and deputy commissioners of the Provincial Police, as well as two from the Federal Police. [...] I worked for Carlos Miniscarco until I was arrested. One of the ones who was in the group with me had participated in that job, that is, the Gutiérrez homicide. He was not the perpetrator, but he 32 did accompany “Chiquito Santillán” [...] 72. On November 10, 2000, Mr. Francisco Virgilio Gutiérrez, the brother of Deputy Commissioner Jorge Omar Gutiérrez and current mayor of Quilmes, Buenos Aires Province, testified before the Transitional Court No. 2 of La Plata. In his testimony, he described in detail the searches, investigations, procedures and interviews that he and former police officer Luis Elio Lofeudo had been carrying out since the death of his brother in order to gather evidence and witnesses. They wanted to present them before the judge handling the case at that time, Dr. Atencio, in order to “obtain justice and 33 find those responsible for my brother’s homicide.” Among the interviews carried out, Mr. Francisco Virgilio Gutiérrez referred to the ones he did with the relatives of the woman who was Alejandro Daniel Santillán’s concubine - Claudia Francisca Acuña and Adolfo Ricardo Salvador - following the testimony they gave before Judge Atencio. 73. On November 17, 2000, Adolfo Ricardo Salvador, the brother of the woman who was Mr. Santillán’s concubine at the time of the incidents, testified before that court that, “Chiquito Santillán arrives to my house and pounds on the building’s wood wall and tells me you know that we had a problem [...] we had to get rid of a guy.” 74. Later in his testimony, Adolfo Ricardo Salvador stated that several days later, 31 Annex 20. Copy of the testimony of Officer Domingo Orlando Segura before Transitional Judge No. 2 of the La Plata Judicial District. 32 Annex 21. Copy of the testimony of Roberto Arturo Rolando Freyre presented on October 24, 2000, before the the Transitional Court No. 2 of the La Plata Judicial District. Annexes submitted by the petitioners in communication dated September 26, 2001. 33 Annex 22. Copy of the testimony of Mr. Francisco Virgilio Gutiérrez given November 10, 2000, before the Transitional Court No. 2 of the La Plata Judicial District. Annexes submitted by the petitioners in communication dated September 26, 2001.