Prosecution accuses senator Calisto of tax fraud and seeks waiver of parliamentary immunity
The Coyhaique Prosecution formalised charges against eight defendants, including senator Calisto, for fraud exceeding $105 million. The Public Ministry requested waiver of his parliamentary immunity before the Puerto Montt Court of Appeals.
Prosecution closes investigation and accuses senator Calisto of tax fraud exceeding $105 million
The Coyhaique Local Prosecution closed its investigation into alleged tax fraud involving senator Miguel Ángel Calisto and filed formal charges against eight defendants for repeated counts of tax fraud and subsidy fraud, according to biobiochile.cl. The estimated damage to the State exceeds $105 million.
Among those accused is Calisto himself, investigated primarily for events that occurred during his term as deputy. The charges were filed after the Coyhaique Guarantee Court ordered the case reopened to carry out specific proceedings requested by the defence teams, including new statements and expert reports.
The Public Ministry maintained that these proceedings did not alter its central thesis but rather reinforced it. The crux of the charges centres on parliamentary advisory contracts signed between the Chamber of Deputies and Carla Graf between 2018 and 2022, the period in which Calisto served as deputy. According to the Prosecution, those advisory services were never provided.
The prosecution agency alleges that Calisto made arrangements to secure Graf's contract despite knowing that she would not fulfil the functions stipulated in the contracts. The contracts allegedly operated as a mechanism to obtain fiscal resources irregularly, and part of that money allegedly benefited Calisto, Roland Cárcamo, and other individuals linked to what was then the Christian Democratic Party.
During the reopening of the case, members of Calisto's parliamentary team testified: his chief of staff, a journalist, a secretary, and his driver. None of them could explain in detail the work Graf allegedly would have performed, according to the Prosecution. The Public Ministry also noted that the new statements did not allow it to establish how, when, or in what manner Graf would have carried out the work for which she received remuneration.
The charges coincide with evidence previously published by Bío Bío Investiga. In those publications, Graf and Cárcamo changed their initial versions and declared to the Prosecution that the advisory services were not provided. Cárcamo stated that Graf had been used as a "front person", whilst she claimed not to have provided advisory services either in writing or verbally.
Another central element of the investigation concerns money transfers between Graf and Calisto. In April 2021, Graf received approximately $2.8 million from Congress, and that same day transferred an equivalent amount to Calisto, according to case evidence published by Bío Bío Investiga.
Senator Calisto's defence maintains a different position. His lawyer, César Ramos, has argued that Graf did provide services as parliamentary support staff and that there are statements, WhatsApp messages, and documents that would support that version. Calisto himself had indicated that the advisory services were of a strategic nature and that he maintained direct contact with Graf, even by telephone. Among the disputed evidence are reports that supposedly supported the activities carried out, although the Prosecution contends that these documents do not prove work actually performed.
Regarding the bank transfers, the defence rejected that they constitute irregularity and explained them as transfers linked to relationships of friendship, neighbourhood, and shared projects.
Together with the charges, the Public Ministry again requested waiver of Calisto's parliamentary immunity before the Puerto Montt Court of Appeals. The Prosecution contends that, given his status as a serving senator, the court must determine whether there is sufficient merit for the counts of the charges to proceed and for the case to continue towards preparation of the oral trial.
This is not the first time such a request has been made. In June, the Prosecution had already charged Calisto and sought a sentence of 12 years imprisonment, arguing the reiteration of the investigated events and the fiscal damage exceeding $100 million. With the closure of the investigation and the new formal charges, the case awaits judicial determination on waiver of the senator's parliamentary immunity.
Source: Google News CL — Crime