Valparaíso Prosecutor's Office ends the mystery and files a malfeasance complaint (querella de capítulos) in order to formally charge former minister Ulloa

On Saturday, the Valparaíso Regional Prosecutor's Office filed a criminal complaint of "capítulos" against former minister of the Santiago Court of Appeals, Antonio Ulloa Márquez, before that same court, for the alleged crimes of bribery, judicial misconduct (prevaricación), and disclosure of secrets. The former judge's name began to appear in the investigations stemming from the so-called Audios case based on information extracted from the cell phone of lawyer Luis Hermosilla. The conversations between the two revealed contacts and efforts related to potential appointments within the Judiciary, as well as exchanges of information about judicial matters that later came under review by the Public Prosecutor's Office. The judicial action, led by prosecutor Claudia Perivancich, requires the appellate court to review the records and determine whether to authorize the advancement of criminal prosecution against Ulloa for acts related to the exercise of his former office. It should be noted that the "querella de capítulos" is the procedure that must be followed to criminally prosecute certain officials, including judges, for crimes committed in the performance of their duties. Contacts with Hermosilla and efforts over appointments One of the first public pieces of information about the relationship between the two came to light in March 2024, when CIPER published conversations from Hermosilla's phone showing his involvement in the process of appointing ministers. Among those records were messages related to Ulloa's arrival at the Santiago Court of Appeals. The judge himself acknowledged at the time that he had held conversations with the criminal defense lawyer during his candidacies. The efforts dated back to 2019, when he tried to join the capital's appellate court without obtaining the appointment, and continued in 2021, the year he was finally appointed. On April 12 of that year, Ulloa received notification of his appointment. According to messages published later, upon learning of the decision he thanked Hermosilla for the support he had given him in obtaining the position. In November 2024, the relationship between the two gave rise to a new investigative line. The O'Higgins Prosecutor's Office requested access to the conversations the lawyer maintained with Ulloa and other members of the Judiciary, in an investigation seeking to clarify possible crimes of influence peddling, judicial misconduct, bribery, and corruption. The review of the messages led, during March 2025, to proceedings aimed at investigating possible interference in judicial appointments. According to a CIPER investigation, the exchanges between Hermosilla and Ulloa contained efforts related to at least 14 appointments, including that of the former minister himself. On March 24 of that year, the Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Police (PDI) raided Ulloa's office at the Santiago Court of Appeals, as part of the inquiries into possible irregularities in appointments. The operation extended to other premises linked to the investigation and allowed the seizure of records for analysis by investigators. Leaks and cases in which he allegedly failed to recuse himself In May 2025, new information revealed conversations in which Ulloa allegedly shared with Hermosilla judicial information that was not yet public. Among the records were details about the case involving the lifting of parliamentary-style immunity (desafuero) of the governor of the Valparaíso Region, Rodrigo Mundaca, as well as administrative and disciplinary decisions concerning other members of the Judiciary. The publication also exposed exchanges about voting records and selection processes for judicial positions. Part of that information came under review in disciplinary proceedings and the criminal investigation. Another point of criticism was Ulloa's participation in cases involving lawyers with whom he had ties. The alleged failure to recuse himself in those proceedings would constitute one of the pieces of evidence connected to the charge of judicial misconduct, a matter that must be examined in the judicial procedure. In November 2025, the Senate upheld the impeachment filed against the then-minister for notable abandonment of duties. The decision implied his removal from office and disqualification from holding public office for five years. Among the approved articles were criticisms regarding the duty of confidentiality, recusal and impartiality in judicial decisions, and involvement in appointments. The CDE complaint and the payments under investigation On September 16, 2026, the State Defense Council (CDE) filed a criminal complaint against Ulloa before the Seventh Guarantee Court of Santiago, for the crimes of disclosure of secrets, aggravated bribery, and judicial misconduct. The action also included lawyers Luis Hermosilla, Mario Vargas, and Samuel Donoso, as well as the Real Estate Registrar of Puente Alto, Sergio Yáber. In that filing, the agency described alleged efforts to favor Ulloa's appointment and questioned that, once installed on the Santiago Court, he had participated in cases related to lawyers with whom he had ties, without declaring potential conflicts of interest. The CDE also included information about money transfers that Yáber allegedly made to the former judge. According to the complaint, the payments would amount to approximately 74.3 million pesos between February 2019 and April 2025, a period during which Ulloa participated in a vote related to the filling of the position of Registrar of Mortgages and Liens of Santiago.