of relationship with Orlando Martínez. 106 Mr. Sosa added that the testimony of Narciso Castro was on account of “simple personal envy, perhaps because they belong[ed] to different political parties.”107 84. Mr. Sosa maintained that on the day of Carlos Escaleras’s death, he heard “in a gaming parlor” three versions of the killing: (i) that the “politicians in office” and Congressman Salomón Martínez had killed him; (ii) that the private company run by Mr. Facussé had ordered him killed; and (iii) that the colonel of the 15th Battalion had had him murdered. 108 He added that the colonel had threatened Mr. Escaleras after he had “called him a thief, a rogue, a scoundrel,” to which the colonel had replied that “he would pay for that later.”109 85. On March 4, 1998, the court ruled on the nonexistence of “sufficient merit to order the incarceration” of Oscar Sosa; it therefore ordered his provisional release, without prejudice to the continued investigation of the case.110 86. On May 27, 1999, the prosecutor Luis Santos asked the court to contact the medical examiner in order to obtain the forensic report on Carlos Escaleras’s body since “the corresponding ruling is not in the record (…) [and] whether any projectiles were taken from his body.”111 On June 1, 1999, the court requested that information.112 The IACHR notes that this forensic report does not appear in the judicial case file. 87. On August 12, 1999, the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DGIC) prepared a report on the inquiries conducted in connection with the death of Carlos Escaleras. 113 The DGIC reported that Mr. José Echeverría Natarén stated that Orlando Martínez “had, on two occasions, told him in confidence that (…) he had been paid to kill Carlos Escaleras and that [he] in turn hired two people to carry out the murder.”114 Mr. Echeverría maintained that Orlando Martínez had given them the weapon for them to commit the murder.115 He added that those two individuals were known by the aliases of ‘Lucas’ and ‘Guatuso’.116 (…Continuación) 105 Annex 37. Statement of Oscar Sosa Vargas, dated March 4, 1998, judicial case file, pp. 124-125, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 106 Annex 37. Statement of Oscar Sosa Vargas, dated March 4, 1998, judicial case file, pp. 124-125, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 107 Annex 37. Statement of Oscar Sosa Vargas, dated March 4, 1998, judicial case file, pp. 124-125, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 108 Annex 37. Statement of Oscar Sosa Vargas, dated March 4, 1998, judicial case file, pp. 124-125, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 109 Annex 37. Statement of Oscar Sosa Vargas, dated March 4, 1998, judicial case file, pp. 124-125, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 110 Annex 38. Court document, dated March 4, 1998, judicial case file, p. 127, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 111 Annex 39. Communication of prosecutor Luis Santos, dated May 27, 1999, judicial case file, p. 138, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 112 Annex 40. Court document, dated June 1, 1999, judicial case file, p. 139, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. Annex 41. Report of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation, dated August 12, 1999, judicial case file, pp. 149-150, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 113 114 Annex 41. Report of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation, dated August 12, 1999, judicial case file, pp. 149-150, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 115 Annex 42. Statement of José Echeverría Natarén, dated August 13, 1999, judicial case file, p. 154, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 116 Annex 42. Statement of José Echeverría Natarén, dated August 13, 1999, judicial case file, p. 154, annexed to the initial petition of January 14, 2002. 16