Cristian Turrini, a local businessman and former director of Paraguay TV, used the BASA bank of the Horacio Cartes business group to deposit US$300,000 (G. 2,076 million) to a third party and then, the third party, in turn, deposited it in another account. . This was reported by media outlets owned by the former president last week. The striking thing is that this transaction took place with the collaboration of the bank manager, as observed in the closed circuit.
On October 19 of last year, in the Terport port of Villeta, 2,906 kilos of cocaine were found in bags of charcoal. The prosecutor Elba Cáceres, at that time, ordered the arrest of Cristian Turrini and Alberto Ayala Parquet who were legally responsible for sending the coal, as well as other people. What is striking is that said businessman was able to finalize the financial transaction even with the intermediary of the manager, despite the large sum of money. The bank limited itself to submitting a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) to Seprelad, however, it allowed the transfers to be completed.
Carmen Pereira, Deputy Minister of the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money or Asset Laundering (Seprelad), in an interview for 730 AM, reported that there are privileged treatment in banking entities, although she did not want to specify if she was referring to the Turrini case. “There are undesired consequences and each regulated entity chooses the most convenient regulations. This happens because they don’t know the clients better and they have some privileges. There is a privileged treatment. We set a standard that is the floor, the minimum to establish a due diligence process. Then what each obligated subject determines is a decision of each entity, ”she explained.
FISCAL INACTION
Desirée Masi, national senator for the PDP, announced last week, during the last ordinary session of the Chamber of Senators, that she will file a complaint against corrupt prosecutors and judges who are not punished. In her words, there are prosecutors who hide evidence related to drug trafficking and money laundering cases. “No one is going to be able to discuss the latter because they embarrass us internationally and then some are offended that the United States intervenes,” she said.
Regarding the Cristian Turrini case, he explained that he has already been in oral proceedings since April 1, 2022. He is accused of drug trafficking along with Alberto Ayala. On June 11, Elba Cáceres, the anti-drug prosecutor in the case, did not accompany the presentation with evidence, in this situation, she was intimidated by Judge Rosarito Montanía for 72 hours, for the presentation of evidence. Despite the summons, she does not send the documents. After this situation, Turrini’s defense alleges that the deadlines are peremptory and have already expired. Masi questions that there are 14 pieces of evidence but none were presented.
