Lebanese-Canadian, Ziad Akl, was sentenced today to 12 years and 4 months of prison in Costa Rica

Even through back in June Ziad Akl had chosen to go through an abbreviated process and accepted the charges on attempted murder, extortion, grievous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty, illicit association and aggravated robbery, and was facing a sentence up to 23 years in prison, the Criminal Court of Pavas did not accept the deal and ordered to maintain the criminal process which concluded in trial.

The district attorney requested a sentence of 35 years of prison, for the lebanese, whose brother, Elias Akl, was murdered back in May 2017 outside a private school in Guachipelin, Escazu. Ziad was arrested shortly after his brother’s murder when he was trying to flee the country through the Juan Santamaria Airport, and was detained on separate charges of attempted murder, extortion and deprivation of liberty, all acts which took place between 2016 and 2017 when the brothers apparently had a money-lending organization which they ran in a thug-like manner, threatening debtors, holding them against their will and using violence to get them to pay.

The sentence was dictated this Friday, November 23 at 9 a.m. and involved two other men of last names Pinnock, who received 7 years of prison, and Fernández who will serve 5 years.