Former Antofagasta mayor arrives in Santiago handcuffed after years on the run in Europe
Karen Rojo was handed over by Dutch authorities and landed in Chile on Wednesday to serve her judicial sentence for fraud against public funds.
Former Antofagasta mayor arrives in Santiago handcuffed after years on the run in Europe
During the morning of Wednesday, a former authority from the north of the country returned to national territory under strict police custody. Karen Rojo Venegas, who held the municipal office of Antofagasta, was brought back from Europe following an extensive international legal process.
The former municipal chief stepped off the plane with her upper extremities restrained and escorted by civil police personnel. Her forced return was carried out at approximately seven in the morning at the capital's main air terminal.
In the year 2021, a court in the northern region had found her responsible for misappropriating funds belonging to a social welfare corporation. The diverted money—approximately 23 million—was used to contract personal image services for electoral purposes during her administration. The sentence imposed exceeded five years of imprisonment.
Despite the conviction, the former local official managed to leave the country in March 2022, hours after the highest court confirmed the ruling against her. The absence of restrictive measures at that time allowed her to board a flight to the European continent without incident.
She settled in a small Dutch municipality called Ter Apel, where she unsuccessfully attempted to obtain asylum. In July 2022 she was apprehended as a result of an international arrest warrant. During the four years that followed, her legal representatives filed multiple appeals with European courts to prevent her extradition, all of which were rejected.
Once on Chilean soil, she was transferred to Santiago's judicial complex for the corresponding review. She could also face a new charge for evading criminal prosecution. The prosecutor directing the case, Cristián Aguilar, personally supervised the transfer operation.
The former official's lawyers are seeking to have the time she spent in custody abroad deducted from the main sentence. If successful, her stay in a local penitentiary facility would be significantly reduced.
This episode has highlighted the failings of the system that made it possible for a sentenced individual to leave the country freely, generating criticism over the migration control mechanisms applied to the convicted.
Source: EnEstrado.com
Source: Google News CL — Crime