Former president Peña appears before Paraguay's Public Ministry after impeachment
Santiago Peña arrived at the Public Ministry in Asunción on Saturday to give a statement, one day after being removed by Congress in the Ueno Bank scandal.
Former Paraguayan president appears before Public Ministry after removal
Former Paraguayan president Santiago Peña arrived at the headquarters of the Public Ministry in Asunción on Saturday (7) to give a statement, one day after being arrested and having his impeachment approved by the National Congress. The confirmation was made by the Public Ministry itself to CNN Brasil correspondent Luciana Taddeo, who is following the case.
Images captured by local broadcaster NPY show Peña getting out of the car accompanied by a police escort before entering the building. The arrest order was signed by prosecutors from the Specialised Unit for Economic Crimes and Anti-Corruption and the Specialised Unit for Computer Crimes. In the statement, the authorities stressed that "the detained persons shall be placed at the disposal of the competent authority within the legal timeframe, with respect for their rights and guarantees".
Prosecutors who spoke outside Peña's residence in Asunción said that the charges were still being defined, but could include trafficking in influence. The former president is being investigated on suspicion of fraudulent management and other crimes linked to the crisis triggered by the collapse of Ueno Bank.
The Senate approved Peña's impeachment with 44 votes in favour and one abstention, one day after the Chamber of Deputies had already given approval to the process. With the removal confirmed, former vice-president Pedro Alliana assumed control of the country.
At the centre of the scandal is Ueno Bank, which belongs to the Vázquez Group, which ceased operations on Tuesday (3) after the Central Bank of Paraguay initiated a liquidation process after identifying shortfalls in the institution's solvency ratios, related to loans granted to companies linked to the group. The bank had around 3 million customers and held approximately US$ 850 million in deposits, including resources from the Social Security Institute.
Peña, an economist who took office in 2023, was a shareholder of the Vázquez Group until March of last year. The opposition accused him of conflict of interest, regulatory manipulation, misappropriation of pension funds, and covering up by the Central Bank.
"Never before has anyone harmed, in a single day, 3 million people in the Republic of Paraguay, and you managed to do it, Mr President... you are the source of this monster you created", said opposition deputy Rocío Vallejo during the session that preceded the impeachment vote.
Before being detained, Peña posted on social media platform X that those responsible for the irregularities would answer to the courts without exception, and enacted a law that will allow Ueno savers to recover their money within a reduced timeframe.
Source: Google News BR — Crime