Court dismisses two defence lawyers from trial into Maradona's death

The San Isidro court trying seven health professionals for the death of Diego Maradona on Thursday removed two lawyers of one of the defendants during the second day of proceedings.

The football legend, who suffered multiple chronic pathologies, died of a pulmonary edema and heart failure in late 2020 aged 60. Eight members of his medical team stand accused of "homicide with possible malice aforethought," implying awareness that their actions might cause his death.

On Thursday,  judges decided to remove from the case Rodolfo Baqué and Martín De Vargas, two of the three defence lawyers of nurse Ricardo Almirón, in consideration of a possible conflict of interests. The legal duo are also defending another nurse of Maradona, Gisela Madrid, who faces another future trial in continuation.

The removal of the lawyers had been requested by the lawyer of another defendant, the psychologist Carlos Díaz, arguing that their potentially "conflicting interests" might lead to an "ineffective defence" of Almirón, with the possibility of the trial being quashed in consequence.

 "The judges have decided to exclude me from the trial because they do not want me to say who killed Maradona," Baqué told the AFP news agency afterwards, acknowledging three of the accused: neurosurgeon Leopold Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and Díaz.

Baqué also announced that he would appeal the decision by the court’s judges.

The trial of Maradona’s death is being held in the northern Greater Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro with 120 witnesses expected to testify.

The national icon died while recovering from a neurosurgical operation at a prívate home in a northern Greater Buenos Aires district.
When the trial opened last week, a prosecutor described Maradona’s treatment as "reckless, deficient and unprecedented" and his death scene as from "the theatre of horror," alleging the retired footballer’s medical team did not follow any protocol. 

The trial of Maradona’s death will proceed every Tuesday and Thursday for the next four months. 

In the next hearing next Tuesday as from 9am, the three policemen who were the first to enter the house after his death are scheduled to testify.

Thursday was the last hearing in which the defendants were obliged to be present. They will only need to return to the courtroom to hear the verdict and possible sentences.

– TIMES/AFP