$50 million fraud in La Araucanía: two businessmen formalised in "La Agencia" case
Temuco Court of Guarantees formalised Mauricio Vergara and Edwin Contreras on fraud charges relating to subsidies. They allegedly used forged documents to secure economic reactivation funds.
Two businessmen charged with misappropriation of state funds in La Araucanía
Temuco Court of Guarantees formalised businessmen Mauricio Vergara and Edwin Contreras on Wednesday on charges of improper obtaining of subsidies in the so-called "La Agencia" case, according to cnnchile.com.
According to Radio Biobío, both defendants allegedly used ideologically false documentation and simulated contracts to secure approximately $50 million designated for an economic reactivation programme in the La Araucanía Region.
Prosecutor Raúl Espinoza told the court that the accused presented altered quotations with the aim of inflating prices of seafood when accounting for the funds obtained.
The funds in question were part of a programme run by the Productive Development Agency, financed with approximately $9 billion from the La Araucanía Regional Government.
The Public Ministry is maintaining additional formalisations pending in this case, which is investigating irregularities in the accounting of state funds between 2022 and 2023. According to case information, Vergara and Contreras allegedly acted in concert with other defendants not yet formalised.
Source: Google News CL — Crime