They raid the Presidential House of Costa Rica and other public institutions for alleged corruption in public works

(CNN Spanish) – In Costa Rica, authorities carried out 57 raids, including the Presidential House and 13 other public institutions, such as the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and the National Highway Council (Conavi). Walter Espinoza, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), reported this Monday to local media that they are investigating a case of possible corruption in the public function related to the construction of public works and the conservation and maintenance of the road network.

In a statement, the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office for Probity, Transparency and Anticorruption (FAPTA) reported that an operation is being carried out in an office in the Presidency that is occupied only by presidential advisers, not by ministers or members of the supreme powers. This was also confirmed by the Presidency to CNN.

“The evidence that is sought to be obtained in these sites is documentation, electronic equipment and other relevant evidence for the process being processed, as dictated by law in this type of proceedings and with the presence of a Criminal Judge of Guarantees in each place” , explained the Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Espinoza, crimes of bribery, embezzlement, irregular payments of administrative contracts, influence peddling, embezzlement, illicit association and fraud and ideological falsehood are investigated.

Espinoza said that since 2019, the Prosecutor’s Office and the OIJ “received concrete and direct complaints” about the existence of a group of public officials who allegedly “would be colluding with members, employees, representatives and owners of very high-level private companies that usually earned the adjudications ”, and that supposedly they would be embezzling funds, favoring certain projects and people, in addition to affecting the public treasury.

The authorities anticipated that raids will also be carried out in private companies and private homes. OIJ confirmed to CNN that some 28 people were detained. Espinoza had declared that they are being investigated for crimes of bribery, embezzlement, irregular payments of administrative contracts, influence peddling, embezzlement, illicit association and fraud and ideological falsehood.

The director of the OIJ also pointed out that there is a “budgetary gap” generated by irregular transfers of around 78,000 million colones (just over 126 million dollars) between 2018 and 2020. “It does not mean that this money has been stolen, rather it was embezzled. They used it for different purposes without authorization and that has generated situations that materialize in the delivery of bribes, ”explained Espinoza.

The official announced that this operation is one of the most important that the Public Ministry has worked with in recent times.

In a statement, the Costa Rican presidency reported that “it has given and will give all the collaboration to the judicial authorities in the investigation they are carrying out”, in addition to stating that “it will provide the authorities with any information or documentation that may result useful for determining the facts in the investigation they carry out ”.

CNN is contacting the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and Conavi for reaction.

This is the second raid on the Presidential House during the Carlos Alvarado government. The first was in February 2020, as part of the investigations to determine whether the Data Analysis Unit of the Presidency accessed confidential data of citizens. In an appearance before Congress, Alvarado defended himself by denying espionage. “Data was never used for electoral purposes or to benefit a third party. There was no misuse of public funds and they always acted under the block of legality, “he said. The so-called UPAD case has not concluded, the investigation was suspended at the end of January because several defendants’ defenders filed technical appeals before the Third Chamber and this has not resolved them. Right now the file is in that room, the Prosecutor’s Office informed CNN this Monday.

– Djenane Villanueva contributed to this report.