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 News from Around the Americas | April 2006 
Canadian Lawyer Blasts Fox's Comments
 Gregory Bonnell - Londen Free Press
| | Edward Greenspan says Vicente Fox has compromised the investigation of the Cancun murders. |
Toronto - It was "beyond the pale" for Mexico's president to comment publicly on the investigation into the murder of Dominic and Nancy Ianiero, a prominent criminal lawyer said yesterday as he demanded justice be done on the Yucatan Peninsula.
Edward Greenspan assailed Mexican President Vicente Fox for publicly assuring Canadians earlier this week that Mexico remains a safe vacation spot and for repeating the suggestion that last month's slayings were likely committed by Canadians.
"It's ludicrous and it's dead wrong," Greenspan said at a news conference, with the couple's son, Anthony.
"Keep out of this investigation - don't direct it, don't control it, don't comment on it."
The Ianieros were found on the floor of their hotel room last month, their throats slashed. They were at a resort near Cancun to attend their daughter's wedding.
Yesterday, their son said his parents were the victims of a robbery - "I know that for a fact, that they were" - and the family wants police to interview a hotel security employee who failed to show up for work the following day.
The lead investigator first suggested two Canadian women who were guests at the same resort were the prime suspects. Fox earlier this week continued to suggest the killings may have been committed by Canadians.
Greenspan called it "beyond the pale and totally improper" for the leader of a country to make such a statement and accused Fox of compromising the investigation by excluding the possibility of a Mexican killer.
Greenspan said the family was disappointed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper didn't take the opportunity to chastise the president for his remarks during a meeting with the leader this week.
He said Fox only made the comments to protect the Mexican tourism industry.
"That's all that matters to him," Greenspan said. "For all practical purposes, he has destroyed any confidence that the investigation will be conducted with the fairness and impartiality that is required to bring about a just charge."
Anthony Ianiero said the entire investigation process has been extremely frustrating for the family.
"We're not getting anywhere, we're not getting answers or help from anyone," he said.
He said his family gave Mexican police information they felt was "extremely important" to the investigation, but are unsure how seriously it was considered.
"We're not sure how strong or lightly they took this information, not speaking the language and not understanding the language," he said.
Ianiero also expressed outrage at the decision by a Mexican newspaper and some Canadian media outlets to publish grisly, blood-soaked photos of the murder scene and the bodies of his parents.
Yesterday, Harper and Fox were again talking about the Ianiero case at a news conference following their two-day summit with U.S. President George W. Bush - but Fox appeared to be taking a much more diplomatic position.
"We (are) absolutely sorry and we have our, well, feelings that a crime has been carried out here in a hotel in Cancun," he said when asked about the case.
"When the data are ready and when they finally decide, we can claim we tried the guilty people. As of now, that is the only information that we have at hand. We're working closely, we're reporting to the government and the authorities of Canada." |
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