The San José Criminal Court sentenced José Francisco Mora Palma to 12 years in prison on Monday. Mora, former head of nephrology at the Calderón Guardia Hospital (HCG), was convicted for leading a criminal organization to extract kidneys from people in socioeconomic vulnerability.
Also, Dimosthenis Katsigiannis, a trader of Greek origin, was sentenced to eight years in prison, but three other doctors were acquitted: Fabián Fonseca Guzmán, Víctor Hugo Monge Monge and Massimiliano Mauro Stamati.
According to the judges, Mora Palma was found guilty of a crime of trafficking in persons for the purpose of illegal removal of organs and a crime of embezzlement.
From 2012 to 2013, the Public Prosecutor’s Office detected 14 victims. They all had low incomes and agreed to sell their organs to foreign citizens (apparently Israeli, American and Syrian) in exchange for three to 10 million colones.
The surgeries were carried out at Clínica Bíblica and Hospital Hotel La Católica.
This trial began on September 11th and the court was made up of judges Omar White, Lorena Blanco and Irena Barrantes.