### AMLO Asserts Norma Piña Should Face Political Trial Following SCJN Ruling on Elektra Vs. SAT
In a press conference held on August 27, 2024, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) suggested that Norma Lucía Piña Hernández, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) since January 2, 2023, deserves to face a political trial. This comes in response to her handling of a legal dispute between Grupo Salinas, owned by magnate Ricardo Salinas Pliego, and the Tax Administration Service (SAT) over unpaid taxes amounting to 35 billion pesos.
Speaking from the Treasury Hall of the National Palace, AMLO criticized Piña Hernández for her decisions to admit legal resources from Grupo Salinas that warranted the SAT’s collection of taxes. He explained that two cases, one involving 33 billion pesos and another of 2 billion pesos, were accepted by Piña Hernández despite allegedly not meeting legal criteria.
“I will not act against the SCJN minister to avoid accusations of persecution,” stated AMLO, emphasizing a reluctance to escalate the issue to a political trial. However, he remarked that Piña Hernández’s actions were unconstitutional and arbitrary. Despite this, he refrained from naming specific judicial members involved in the case.
On August 21, 2024, Piña Hernández accepted a case from Grupo Elektra disputing a fiscal credit of 18 billion pesos related to unpaid income taxes for the 2013 fiscal year. She also approved a separate case involving a fiscal credit of 1.4 billion pesos for the 2008 fiscal year and assigned the cases to other ministers for review.
AMLO had previously directed his administration to express their concerns about the delayed cases involving Grupo Salinas, which he claimed amounted to fiscal fraud and undue protection under the judiciary system.
### Secondary Article: Additional Updates on Elektra and SAT Legal Battles
The legal tussle between Grupo Elektra and the Tax Administration Service (SAT) continues to stir controversy. In a recent ruling by the 20th Collegiate Administrative Court of the First Circuit, Grupo Elektra’s appeal to avoid paying 24 billion pesos in taxes was denied. The verdict upheld the original tax assessment from SAT, which includes penalties for late payments over multiple fiscal years from 2008 to 2012.
Grupo Salinas responded with a public statement criticizing the court’s decision and accusing the magistrates of succumbing to federal government pressure. The conglomerate maintained its stance on taking the matter to higher legal authorities, including the SCJN, to contest what it deems abusive tax practices.
Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the owner of Grupo Elektra, echoed these sentiments via social media, emphasizing the need for independent judicial oversight and denouncing the perceived coercion from tax authorities. He reaffirmed his commitment to defending the interests of his businesses and employees through all possible legal means.
This ongoing dispute underlines broader tensions between large corporations and governmental tax bodies in Mexico, raising questions about judicial independence and fiscal accountability.
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