San Juan police sergeant charged with embezzlement: 90 tyres unaccounted for as suspect points to superiors
A sergeant from the San Juan Police Force was charged with embezzlement after 28 spare wheels were found at his sister-in-law's house. The accused gave a statement and implicated his senior commanders.
San Juan police officer charged with theft of state tyres points finger at his chiefs
A sergeant from the San Juan Police Force faced his formal hearing on Tuesday for the alleged systematic theft of state-owned tyres, according to tiempodesanjuan.com. Judge Diego Sanz issued a provisional charge against Franco Nicolás Narváez Rivero, 29 years old, with embezzlement as principal offender.
The case was pursued by prosecutors Roberto Ginsberg and Claudia Salica, along with plaintiff Agustín Idemi representing the State Prosecution. The investigation began following a series of spare-wheel thefts recorded between June and July, with seven case files accumulated under the same criminal pattern: theft of tyres from vehicles parked on public roads.
Key search and 28 wheels seized
Intelligence work led officers to a property in the Natania 20 neighbourhood in Rivadavia. The search proved decisive: 28 spare wheels were recovered at that residence. The resident, identified as Ms Castro—the suspect's sister-in-law—declared to authorities that she received the tyres at the express request of Narváez.
The central aggravating factor in the case stems from the functions the sergeant performed within the Automotive Section (D-4). According to statements made at the hearing, Narváez was in charge of maintenance, replacement and receipt of tyres, and held keys to the central warehouse and an annex located in Rawson. In the view of the Public Prosecution, the suspect used that privileged access to appropriate state property.
An inventory shortfall of 90 tyres on official records
The impact of the case necessitated an exhaustive stocktake in Automotive. Official records indicated that among the 1,178 tyres purchased by the Government and those obtained through donations, total stock should have amounted to 1,268 tyres. The physical count, however, revealed only 1,107 units, exposing a shortfall of 90 tyres.
To that figure must be added the confirmation of the police warehouse manager himself, who unambiguously confirmed that the 28 wheels seized at Narváez's sister-in-law's house belong to the department.
The sergeant's statement implicates his superiors
Far from remaining silent, Narváez chose to give a statement to Judge Sanz, and his testimony caused considerable internal upheaval. The officer attempted to distance himself from the accusation by pointing directly at his superiors, claiming that senior commanders are the ones carrying out irregular "manoeuvres" within the department. He also asserted that the tyres found in the Natania 20 neighbourhood are his property and that he acquired them "in good faith".
His defence counsel, Faustino Gelvez, presented a strategy in line with those statements. "Whilst I concur with the prosecution's theory, I believe in my client's sincerity," the lawyer told the magistrate, and formally requested that the people identified by Narváez be called to testify and provide explanations regarding the internal workings of the force.
Defence requests release pending trial
The defence requested mitigation of detention, arguing that Narváez should remain free whilst the judicial process proceeds. As coercive measures it proposed strict compliance with the process, prohibition from obstructing the investigation and mandatory appearance every 15 days at the police station nearest to his residence.
Justice must now determine the next procedural steps in a case which, based on the statements made by the accused, could lead to new summonses for senior officers of the police force.
Source: Google News PR — San Juan