2 More Officers Charged in Case Alleging Torture
Two plainclothes officers were charged Wednesday with lying to the FBI about what they saw the night Haitian immigrant Abner Louima was allegedly tortured by uniformed officers in a police stationhouse.
Rolando Aleman, 28, and Francisco Rosario, 35, repeatedly lied and concealed facts to avoid becoming witnesses against fellow officers, federal prosecutors said. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison.
Rosario left the courthouse without comment. Aleman said publicity will make it impossible to beat the charges.
Defense attorneys accused authorities of arresting their clients to pressure them into cooperating. They said the plainclothes officers are part of a roving unit who happened to book a gun suspect at the 70th Precinct stationhouse on Aug. 9, 1997.
The arrests Wednesday raise the total number of officers charged in the case to seven. Four patrolmen await trial on charges that they violated Louima’s civil rights during the attack. Another has been charged in an alleged cover-up.
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