A post by journalist Rolando Rodi revealed that deputy Erico Galeano Segovia sold a motel owned by him “Crucero del Amor”, located in San Lorenzo for G. 13,500 million to the firm HRA CIA. The first payment was in cash for G. 3,000 million. The rest of the G. 10,500 million would be paid when the transfer is completed according to what is read in the deeds.
The contract was signed between Erico Galeano for Mega Crucero SA and Horacio Daniel Fernández Morínigo for the firm HRA CIA.
The HRA Y CIA joint-stock company belongs to Horacio Daniel Fernández Morínigo, a 33-year-old Colorado politician, current mayor of Itauguá and a friend of Erico Galeano.
It remains to be seen whether the banks reported to Seprelad and whether this institution in turn reported to the Prosecutor’s Office. The mayor of Itauguá paid G. 3,000 million in cash to deputy Galeano and promised to pay G. 10,500 million when the transfer was completed.
HAND IN HAND
Fernández acquired the motel in March 2020 after acquiring it from Erico Galeano. Firstly, he bought it from José “Chechito” López, Exintendent for San Lorenzo. The latter belongs to the “Honor Colorado” movement of Horacio Cartes.
The striking thing is that, in 2021, Galeano made a payment of US$ 2.5 million to Horacio Cartes for a debt that existed between the two. However, the legislator did not go into detail about what he did with the loan in the first place.
SEPRELAD
We tried to speak with Carlos Arregui, head of the Secretariat for the Prevention of Money Laundering (Seprelad) and with Carmen Pereira, deputy minister, but we had no answers. From the Directorate of Communication they affirm that said authorities cannot speak of specific cases, which is why both have not yet given interviews to the press.
DEPUTIES
We tried to speak with deputies from various groups such as Édgar Acosta, José Reynaldo Rodríguez, Carlos María López and Sergio Rojas (all four from the PLRA). Also with Hugo Ramírez and Jazmín Narváez, both pro-government deputies, however, we had no answers.
The only one who responded was Sebastián García from the PPQ, but he preferred not to issue opinions because he did not know all the details of the accusations against Galeano.
DECLARATIONS
The last time Erico Galeano spoke to the press was on Wednesday before entering the session room of the Lower House. At a press conference he stated that the transfer to Cartes consisted of a legal operation through the financial system.
“That amount is not going to appear out of nowhere. Do you (for the communicators) believe that Seprelad will allow an amount of this nature to be overlooked? I will give my official version in due course. Cartes gave me money through the financial system. It was a debt I owed him,” she replied.
Regarding his affidavits, he announced that they are involuntary omissions. He stressed that the law allows him to make the rectifications.
“Why am I going to ask for my immunity? There is no criminal case. Did I screw the State with these omissions? Did I benefit from money with these omissions? The law says that if something is omitted in the DDJJ it is not a crime. From the moment I can rectify it, it ceases to be a crime, ”he replied.
