The Robert Hertular allegations - for the past two days, they have been all the buzz as the convicted drug trafficker told the DEA in 2003 that he worked for the so-called Fonseca Organization - what he claimed was an international drug smuggling, money laundering ring.
But more interesting than Hertular's wild claims is the fact that United States DEA Agents were caught on audio tape urging a local informant to find out if former PM Said Musa or former Police Minister Ralph Fonseca were involved in the drug trade.
That's what former police commissioner Carmen Zetina told us last night - while making it clear that the DEA had no basis upon which to make those suggestions.
But then why did those same DEA agents include Hertular's claims in their account to a US courtroom?
In the second part of his interview, Zetina says they should have known better:…
Jules Vasquez
"You believe Hertular's claims about this......"
Carmen Zetina, Former Police Commissioner
"Oh come on, from what I read Jules I could detect from there - it's baloney, you could see it and I think if you read it, see the tone of the letter, the contents of it, nothing is there! Anybody could make false claims, I could say that Jules is involved and because of I say it, it's a gospel truth? It would have to depend on who said it."
Jules Vasquez
"Should they as professional agents have known - what you have concluded about it - that it was baloney?"
Carmen Zetina, Former Police Commissioner
"Well Jules the only thing I can is that I don't know what prompted to say it at the first instance, true, I cannot because I can recall when I spoke to Kelly after the incidents when I heard the tape, he had regrets, he expressed regrets over it alright, he expressed regrets, he didn't mention, he didn't elaborate, the only thing he kept saying that he was used. That is the only thing. So how can you give credibility to this thing afterwards."
Jules Vasquez
"But they actually repeated it, it's them who brought this into court to show the context of the threats that Hertular gave them."
Carmen Zetina, Former Police Commissioner
"I don't know this as any threats Jules, I was the commissioner and it's the first time I am reading that they were threatened in any way."
Jules Vasquez
"Really you were not aware that they were threatened."
Carmen Zetina, Former Police Commissioner
"I was not aware of it."
Jules Vasquez
"He stated that a former commissioner of police was involved, that the Alliance Bank was involved in the laundering of money."
Carmen Zetina, Former Police Commissioner
"Well I don't know which commissioner he is talking about, if it's the 2004 commissioner then he is implying that I am involve, that's the only way I put it, if he is looking at 2003, 2004 or......."
Jules Vasquez
"What's your response to that?"
Carmen Zetina, Former Police Commissioner
"That could never happen. Hertular could never ever say that to me. More over I was targeting Hertular."
Late this evening, the PUP issued a release on the Hertular allegations, calling them quote, "completely ridiculous and without merit."
Email
Print