Creation of mixed commission in Bolivia to investigate corruption analyzed

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Plurinational Assembly of Bolivia (parliament) is analyzing the creation of a mixed commission of deputies and senators to follow up on the corruption scandal in Santa Cruz investigated today by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The working group will follow up the process opened in the mentioned department, where a bag with papers found inside a house revealed irregularities in the Santa Cruz Mayor’s Office for more than one million dollars, according to the first indications.

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The legislator Estefanía Morales declared the day before to Bolivia TV that the commission’s creation is supported by the legal norm in force and the regulations of both legislative chambers.

She informed that the Autonomies Commission will summon the mayor of Santa Cruz, Jhonny Fernández, to provide information on the main suspect in what is known here as the case of the 800 phantom items Antonio Parada, who is now unaccounted for.

The Bolivian Prosecutor’s Office yesterday ordered the arrest of Parada, former director of Human Resources of the Mayor’s Office, and his brother, prosecutor Marcela Terceros told the press.

She indicated that the forces of law and order are investigating the whereabouts of one of the prominent people implicated in the case and who “declared himself in hiding”.

The notorious case came to public light at the end of November through Antonio Parada’s ex-wife, Valeria Rodríguez, who said last week that the papers with the fraud were found while their house was being painted.

According to the official, not all the people involved in the incident have been identified while working on the cross-checking of information to determine these irregular contracts.

The day before, the Minister of Government, Eduardo del Castillo, expressed to the press that the official records of the General Direction of Migration indicated that Parada is in the country since there is no evidence of having left “through an authorized point”.

According to official reports, “he would still be in the country”, he stressed and added that through the press, in a press release, Parada denied being guilty of fraud and said he was extorted.

Del Castillo commented that the former director of Human Resources of Santa Cruz should inform through the media and “report to the Bolivian justice system”.

He must come forward and tell what happened in the years he started working in the Mayor’s Office in that position since 2009.

According to statements made by Valeria Rodríguez’s lawyer, the total amount of the embezzlement could exceed four million dollars, in addition to including the irregular purchase of 38 luxury vehicles and several properties acquired abroad.