On Monday afternoon three doctors were acquitted by a court for alleged crimes of trafficking in persons for the purpose of illegal extraction of organs.
The San José Criminal Court acquitted the three doctors because the Public Ministry did not show enough evidence to link them to the alleged crimes of trafficking in persons and serious injuries.
Massimiliano Mauro Stamati, specialist in urology; Víctor Hugo Monge Monge, peripheral vascular specialist; and Fabián Fonseca Guzmán, also a specialist in urology are the only acquitted so far.
They were part of an accusation made by the Ministry, on suspicion of being part of a criminal organization to extract kidneys from people in vulnerable socioeconomic conditions. In return, donors received payments three to 10 million colones.
The kidneys were received by foreigners who came to Costa Rica for surgeries and paid up to 20 million colones for the organs.
The only ones convicted were Francisco José Mora Palma, former head of nephrology at the Calderón Guardia Hospital (HCG), designated as the mastermind behind the crimes and Dimosthenis Katsigiannis Karkasi, a trader of Greek origin who worked closely with Mora Palma.