By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The Tribunal Penal de Heredia has overturned a decision that reduced the criminal charges facing the Rev. Minor Calvo and businessman Omar Chávez. The decision opens the way for a trial date to be set for the two men and seven other persons facing allegations from the murder of radio host Parmenio Medina in 2001.

The press office of the Poder Judicial said that charges of fraud and conspiracy had been reinstated against the two men. They also face other charges.

The pair directed the operations of Radio María, a religious radio station that was heavily criticized by Medina in his own radio show on another station. A judge threw out the two charges against the men but the Ministerio Público appealed successfully to have them reinstated.

Prosecutors allege that the priest and the businessman were the intellectual authors of the murder of Medina. He was shot down near his Heredia home. Prosecutors have identified the seven other persons as assailants and middlemen.

Radio María was ordered off the air May 30, 2001, by the the conference of bishops. Parmenio Medina died a short time later. He had exposed irregularities in the operation of the station and had meetings on the topic with church officials.