Former Lagos adviser sentenced for tax fraud later freed by Supreme Court
Three appeals court judges found Jorge Quiroz guilty of defrauding the State in the MOP-Gate scandal, but the highest court freed him after his criminal intent could not be proven.
Former Lagos adviser sentenced for tax fraud later freed by Supreme Court
The current Treasury Secretary, Jorge Quiroz Castro, has a court judgment in his record that identified him as a participant in damage to public funds during the first government of the Concertación. In August 2014, magistrates from the capital's Court of Appeals found him guilty as a co-author of the crime of tax fraud, sentencing him to more than a month in prison and a substantial indemnity.
The scandal—known as MOP-Gate—erupted after it was discovered that the Concessions Department of the Ministry of Public Works was overcharging contracts with consulting firms. The excess amount not charged was channelled to a shell company called GATE, from where money was handed over in envelopes to ministry personnel and political leaders. The proven fiscal damage exceeded one billion pesos in the principal case.
Quiroz, who now manages the finances of Kast's executive, participated in the scheme through the consulting firm Gerens, of which he was a co-owner. The firm was hired in 1999 for advisory work in irrigation; of the agreed amount, a considerable portion returned to the front company.
The lawyers of the economist—who holds a doctorate from Duke University—maintained that he was unaware of the scheme. The second-instance courts did not agree with them: the ruling stated that the professionals included in their invoices concepts for non-existent tasks and that collusion with public officials was evident. The judges considered it unacceptable that professionals of his academic level did not notice the irregularity in the management of state resources.
Despite this, the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in a brief statement. The Second Chamber found that there was no definitive proof that Quiroz had acted with deliberate malice, although it was established that the crime occurred and that he was part of the chain of events.
Information from El Mostrador
Source: Google News CL — Crime