Tax fraud: senator Calisto accused and removal of immunity requested in Coyhaique
The Coyhaique Local Public Prosecutor's Office accused eight people of tax fraud, including senator Miguel Ángel Calisto, with damages exceeding 103 million pesos.
Public Prosecutor accuses senator Calisto of tax fraud and requests removal of immunity
The Coyhaique Local Public Prosecutor's Office closed its investigation and filed charges against eight people for offences of tax fraud and subsidy fraud, in a reiterated capacity, according to fiscaliadechile.cl. Among those accused is senator and former deputy Miguel Ángel Calisto.
Calisto is an independent and part of the Evópoli parliamentary group in the Upper Chamber. His vote is considered key given the balance between government and opposition forces in the Senate.
The amount of damage to the State exceeds 100 million pesos. According to the Public Ministry, between 2018 and 2022, the then deputy conspired with Roland Cárcamo and Carla Graf to obtain resources through a fraudulent mechanism to the detriment of the National Congress, generating a loss of $103,664,697.
The investigation was conducted with support from specialised personnel of the Investigation Police (PDI).
Investigation reopened at defence request
In June, the Public Ministry had already filed charges, but the investigation was reopened at the request of the senator's defence team. The Guarantee Court of Coyhaique ordered the reopening for the carrying out of precise and determined proceedings, including witness statements and expert reports, all completed within the timeframe set by the court.
The proceedings carried out during that period reinforced the Public Prosecutor's thesis: the alleged parliamentary advisory services provided by co-accused Carla Graf were never actually provided, according to the Public Ministry's website.
None of the witnesses who testified—including the senator's chief of staff, his journalist, his secretary and his driver in Congress—was able to explain how, when or in what manner those advisory services would have been provided, having absolutely no knowledge of the work that Graf would have carried out on behalf of the parliamentarian.
All contracts were entered into between the Chamber of Deputies and Carla Graf upon instructions from then deputy Calisto, and constituted, according to the Public Prosecutor, a fraudulent mechanism to obtain money from the Chilean Treasury.
Request for removal of immunity before the Court of Appeals of Puerto Montt
In parallel with the filing of charges, and in accordance with article 416 subsection 1 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Public Ministry requested the removal of immunity of the senator before the Court of Appeals of Puerto Montt. The objective is for that court to determine whether there is sufficient merit to declare the charges admissible.
Whilst the Court does not rule on the removal of immunity, the scheduling of the oral trial preparation hearing shall remain suspended.
Source: Google News CL — Crime