El Salvador Congress to investigate past improper payments to officials

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador’s Political Committee agreed on Monday (12) to create a special group of deputies to investigate secret cash payments made to officials during previous governments.

The committee having a pro-government majority refused to include in the investigation “ad honorem” positions, whose holders were allegedly receiving payments in Nayib Bukele’s administration.

According to a journalistic investigation by the digital media El Faro, during Mauricio Funes’ presidency (2009-2014) several million dollars in bonuses undeclared to the Treasury by these officials had been paid.

President of the Legislative Assembly and Bukele’s ex-private secretary Ernesto Castro said that the committee’s purpose “is very specific with the issue of bonuses” and refused to vote on the proposal by opposition deputy René Portillo Cuadra to include current officials.

“We are not here to cover up corrupt people, no matter where they come from, no matter which government they come from, including this government,” Castro said.

In December 2020, controversy arose in the country when officials with “ad honórem” (unpaid) positions offered their salary on social networks to help in the Covid-19 emergency.

One of the officials was Bukele’s current legal secretary, Conan Castro, who was recently included in a list of alleged “corrupt and anti-democratic persons” drawn up by the United States.

The president of Congress said that the investigation will begin with the administration of ex-president Alfredo Cristiani (1989-1994).

Among the officials El Faro disclosed having received these bonuses is ex-president Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who during Funes’ administration was vice-president and Minister of Education.

The initiative should be ratified by the full Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, July 13, and its members sworn in, the majority of which will be from the Nuevas Ideas ruling party.