After weeks of hearings and testimony from over 40 witnesses, an Argentine court on Thursday nullified the trial of late football legend Diego Maradona’s medical team due to a scandal over a TV miniseries.
A new trial will have to start from scratch, with three new judges, in a case already long delayed into Maradona’s death in 2020, allegedly due to medical negligence.
Judge Julieta Makintach was forced to step down from the case this week after it emerged she had been involved in a documentary miniseries about the case, potentially breaking a string of ethics rules.
Her colleague, Judge Maximiliano Savarino, annulled the trial on Thursday, saying Makintach’s behavior had “caused prejudice” to proceedings that have already heard hours of painful, sometimes tearful, testimony from witnesses including Maradona’s children.
“I am not calm. I am angry. I hate them!” the footballer’s daughter Jana Maradona told reporters outside the court Thursday.
Ex-partner Veronica Ojeda described the events as “outrageous.”
But she added: “if I have to do it (testify) a thousand times more, I will.”
Maradona — considered one of the world’s greatest ever players — died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recovering from brain surgery.
He was found to have died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema — a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs — two weeks after going under the knife.
His seven-person medical team is on trial over the conditions of his home convalescence, described by prosecutors as grossly negligent.
– ‘Divine Justice’ –
In a trial that kicked off on March 11, prosecutors alleged the former footballer was abandoned to his fate for a “prolonged, agonizing period” before his death.
Daughter Gianinna Maradona told the court her father was kept in “a dark, ugly and lonely” place, and that his carers were more interested in money than his welfare.
Then the proceedings hit a hiccup, with Makintach coming under scrutiny over alleged unauthorized filming.
She denied any wrongdoing, but after police raids and a week-long suspension of proceedings, evidence came to light that brought the 47-year-old judge’s conduct into question.
A trailer for a TV show dubbed “Divine Justice” was played in court Tuesday, showing Makintach stalking the halls of justice in high heels as grim details of the footballing hero’s demise were relayed.
The footage, which sparked an uproar, appeared to contain unauthorized recordings made inside the court, and showed Makintach being interviewed on camera.
Makintach has been suspended from her duties and is being investigated by a judicial disciplinary body, accused of violating impartiality requirements, influence peddling and possibly even bribery.
The prosecution, the complainants and most of the defense lawyers had asked for a new panel of judges to be appointed and the trial restarted.
“There was no other option than nullifying” the trial, said Vadim Mischanchuk, the lawyer for Maradona’s psychiatrist, one of the accused.
No date has been set for the new trial, but the prosecution has said it hopes for a restart this year.
Any possible appeals against Thursday’s ruling could delay the resumption of proceedings, for which judges will be chosen by an internal court lottery.
Maradona’s caregivers risk prison terms of between eight and 25 years if convicted of “homicide with possible intent” — pursuing a course of action despite knowing it could lead to his death.
“Maradona still not at peace,” said an Argentine press headline this week.
