The Talca Court of Appeals upheld the preventive detention of four of the thirteen defendants formally charged with bribery and fraud against the state, as part of an investigation involving a defrauded amount of close to 3 billion pesos.
Thirteen public or private officials have already been formally charged in this case and are currently all being held in custody. The investigation has lasted more than a year and, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, reveals an illicit association.
"It is built around a construction company, where the owners or legal representatives contact people, municipal officials, to submit ideologically false invoices, duplicate invoices, or inflated amounts with the purpose of generating credits," explains regional prosecutor Rodrigo Peña.
According to the prosecutor, these invoices were later factored in the private sector through factoring companies, and liquid amounts of money were obtained.
"Then the factoring companies, at the time of going to claim the credits, realized that the invoices they were going to collect were not actually such, or corresponded to smaller amounts, and that is how this fraud scheme effectively takes place," he adds.
The Public Prosecutor's Office states that, in addition to the construction company, another company participated that acted as an intermediary in collecting the invoices from the factoring companies, who are affected along with...
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National "We want to send this strong signal, in the sense that we will pursue whoever is found to be involved in these events, regardless of the position or function they hold," said the regional prosecutor. Referential image JONNATHAN OYARZUN/ATON CHILE Comments The Court of Appeals of Talca upheld the preventive detention of four of the thirteen defendants formalized for bribery and fraud against the state, within the framework of an investigation involving a defrauded amount close to 3 billion pesos. Thirteen public or private officials have already been formally charged in this case and are currently all deprived of liberty. The investigation has lasted more than a year and, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, reveals an illicit association. "It is generated on the basis of a construction company, where the owners or legal representatives contact people, municipal officials, to submit ideologically false invoices, duplicate invoices, or inflated amounts with the purpose of generating credits," explains regional prosecutor Rodrigo Peña. According to the prosecutor, these invoices were later factored in the private sector with factoring companies, and liquid amounts of money were obtained. "Then the factoring companies, at the time of going to claim the credits, realized that the invoices they were going to collect were not actually such, or corresponded to smaller amounts, and that is how this fraud dynamic is effectively generated," he added. The Public Prosecutor's Office states that, in addition to the construction company, another company participated that acted as an intermediary in collecting the invoices from the factoring companies, who are affected along with the municipalities and the public treasury. This Saturday, October 10, arguments were made regarding precautionary measures for four officials involved. Peña requested maintaining the preventive detention of the defendants considering the events, the amounts involved, and the violation of public trust. The prosecutor affirmed that they will push "for the strongest precautionary measures to be applied and that in the future the highest penalties be obtained given the gravity of the events." Regarding the investigation, the prosecutor added that "as unfortunately happens in corruption cases, it will probably continue to expand over time. That is why we want to send this strong signal, in the sense that we will pursue whoever is found to be involved in these events, regardless of the position or function they hold." Read also: PDI investigates double attempted homicide inside a barbershop in CabreroColina reinforces preventive monitoring ahead of frontal system and calls for avoiding unnecessary travelNearly 140,000 vehicles have already left the Metropolitan Region for the long weekendMore about: Fraud against the stateBriberyCourt of Appeals of TalcaTalca