April 26, 2023, 4:00 AM
April 26, 2023, 4:00 AM
The uncertainty and fear of savers of Fassil Bank forced the Financial System Authority (ASFI) to take action on the matter. Given the lack of liquidity of the financial entity, the ASFI started the intervention of Fassil, while, the prosecution ordered the apprehension of four senior executives accused by alleged financial crimes.
According to the order of apprehension to which he had access DUTYthe Police or the Public Ministry are ordered to apprehend Juan Ricardo MO, president of Banco Fassil, Jorge Arturo CV, general manager, Hermes Hugo SC, executive staff, and Hernán SV, executive staff.
The defendants are in Felcc cells central waiting for the Prosecutor’s Office to take their informative statement as investigators.
The request for this measure was made by the ASFI, through his legal representative Freddy Jhamil Zubieta who accuses the previously named persons of having committed “the alleged commission of financial crimes provided for in articles 363 paragraph B of the Penal Code in the case assigned with the unique code 701102012302713/2023”.
From the Special Force to Fight Crime (Felcc) they confirmed to EL DEBER the apprehension of the four officials of the financial institution.
It was learned that the prosecutor Carmen Guzmán Saldías, from the unit specialized in Patrimonial Crimeswas the one that issued, yesterday, the orders of apprehension against the four executivesa measure that was carried out this Tuesday by agents of the Felcc.
The apprehended they decided keep silence making use of his constitutional right for which the Prosecutor’s Office prepares the imputation for the executives.
Due to fear and uncertainty, Banco Fassil saversduring the period December 2022-April 2023 they carried out the withdrawal of the accounts of the financial institution a value of $us 527 milliona situation that put the bank in trouble, reducing its liquidity capacity.
It is expected that, during today’s session, very early, the intervention of the financial entity by the ASFI, Then around 9:00 a.m., Reynaldo Yujra, director of ASFI, gave a press conference to explain the scope of the intervention and the subsequent steps to follow.
According to the official page of Fassil Bank Its activity focused on the development and support of projects to promote micro, small, medium and large companies through its 482 financial service points made up of a central office, 10 branches, 153 agencies and 29 external offices, in addition to a network of 289 ATMs in the cities, neighborhoods and intermediate towns of the departments of Santa Cruz, La Paz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Tarija, Potosí and Oruro.
already consummated the toexecutives prehension and the intervention of Banco Fassil, Leny Valdivia, former director of ASFI, when asked how long it would take for the purchase of Fassil’s portfolio by another financial intermediation entity, the ex-authority maintained that “It’s an agile process It doesn’t take more than two weeks.
“In the event that a portfolio is transferred to another financial entity, those who have credits will surely go to cancel another entity financing with the same conditionsValdivia said.
On return of savings The former director of the ASFI indicated that this information will be provided in the course of the following days in which the method of delivery of depositors’ money will be detailed, although she specified that if there is an intervention it is precisely for return the whole and quickly all the money of the people who trusted Fassil.
As for the shareholders’ assets Valdivia remarked that this is a competence of the Judicial Branch and that within the criminal process carried out by the Public Ministry will determine the steps to follow.
While rehearsing these explanations hundreds of savers in Santa Cruz Alerted by the news and the situation, the Fassil executives chose to go to the various branches of the financial institution to hold a vigil
“I want my money. I brought my mattress and I’m leaving until I get all my deposits back. They must inform us that he is going to spend with us, ”said Don Eugenio via cell phone, while in the background he listened to the protests of the savers who are on Monseñor Rivero Avenue, in the capital of Santa Cruz.
In Peacethe situation is similar, since the people who have accounts in Fassil announced that they will spend the night at the doors of the financial institution to protect your savings.
Earlier in the day yesterday, around noon, DUTY verified that the savers lined up of more than four blocks to withdraw Bs 1,000 from Banco Fassil. Thus, some 1,000 people obtained a file for the withdrawal of their savings from the central office of the financial institution, located on Monseñor Rivero Avenue. To get their turn they had to sleep in the place several days ago
“I have been waiting for my turn for several days. I need my money. Now they say they will give me only a thousand bolivianos,” said Mrs. Mabel, sitting on a black plastic bench. She is one of the more than 1,000 people who came to the financial institution.
Less comfortable is Diego, who retired from his job days ago and seeks to get his settlement that was deposited in the financial institution. “It’s been weeks since I’m looking for a way to get my money. I am desperate, because I need my savings for health treatment,” lamented the man.
Days ago the financial institution through a statement published on social networks warned about the disqualification his debit cards, credit and prepaid until further notice. While, in another document, he appreciated the understanding, solidarity and support despite the inconveniences that they have been experiencing in their services for a month.
For her part, the ASFI on repeated occasions guaranteed savings of the people who trusted Banco Fassil.
Along these lines, the executive director of the ASFIReynaldo Yujra, assured that the country’s financial system is “solid, robust, stable and reliable”. In addition, he pointed out that the resources of Fassil’s clients are protected.
“What must be absolutely clear is that those savings will not be harmed, There is not a single Bolivian citizen who is in danger of their savings,” said the authority.
The lack of liquidity has done that fassil put in sale part of their properties before the claims of their savers who demand the return of their resources. The financier made its decision official through a statement that was released on the official Facebook page.
In the official note, the financier indicates that will sell your real estate in national currency, as a way of supporting Bolivianization.
“It gets to available to the publicinvestors and the real estate sector, real estate out of use, in use and foreclosed, priced in bolivianos as a way of supporting the Bolivianization in the country”points to the note.
Precisely, on Sunday, April 23, at the end of the meeting of the extended Cabinet, where the economic situation of the country, The presidential spokesman, Jorge Richter, pointed out that the bank is going through a “illiquidity problem” and said that “it is necessary that they can monetize the number of properties What does the bank have?
