Two former legislators and the previous Secretary of the Legislative Assembly in Costa Rica are currently subjects of embarrassing complaints, investigations and even criminal charges for alleged sex scandals.

 

As recently reported by The Costa Rica Star, former legislator Ronal Vargas from Guanacaste may face criminal theft charges for his dogged insistence in keeping an iPhone 5 that belongs to the government of Costa Rica. Mr. Vargas wishes to keep the smartphone as evidence in a trial for his alleged sexual harassment of a female legislator, who happens to be an ex-girlfriend.

 

Until recently, the case involving Mr. Vargas was the only sex scandal in the Legislative Assembly. In the last few days, however, two other sordid situations have come to light. The most scandalous case involves former legislator Justo Orozco Alvarez, who presides the minority Costa Rican Renovation political party, a Christian conservative faction.

 

In the past, Mr. Orozco has been in the political spotlight for intolerant comments about the LGBT community, and this attitude has now come to hunt him. Mr. Orozco is the subject of a criminal investigation for the alleged sexual abuse of a young woman, who thought she was being offered a job by the former legislator but instead was taken to a love motel, where she was reportedly groped and fondled by Mr. Orozco, whose intentions do not appear to have been of hiring the candidate for the clerical position she thought she was applying for.

 

According to various news reports by online news daily CRHoy.com, the situation involving Mr. Orozco and the afflicted young lady unfolded before a certain number of witnesses and police officers at a love motel, he was charged in flagrante delicto, and thus should have appeared before Flagrancy Court for a speedy trial and punishment; however, clever legal wrangling by his attorney prevented the instant legal process, which will now move at the glacial pace of Criminal Court.

 

Just a day after the Mr. Orozco scandal made headlines, daily tabloid Diario Extra revealed that Legislator Ligia Fallas (pictured herein) of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) political party filed a sexual harassment complaint against a fellow legislator about a year ago.

 

Some readers of The Costa Rica Star may remember Legislator Fallas for her controversial “Costa Rica is repulsive” statement in late 2014. This time, Legislator Fallas claims that a male lawmaker, who is reportedly several years her junior, provocatively told her:

 

“Turn around Ligia, turn and look at me with those precious eyes, which are not the sole precious parts of your anatomy.”

 

Of all occasions, the above comment was allegedly made during a legislative session that dealt with political matters related to gender inequality in Costa Rica. This accusation is reportedly still under investigation, and Legislator Fallas claims that there are two other sexual harassment complaints in the Assembly that Costa Rica does not yet know about.