The Prosecutor’s Officein coordination with the Anti-Corruption Directorate (Dircocor) of the National Police of Peru (PNP), carried out a raid on the home of the regional governor of Callao since the early hours of this Monday, December 15, Ciro Castilloas part of a mega-operation within the framework of the investigations of the case ‘The Partners of Callao‘. The tax proceedings also cover another 26 properties linked to officials and contractors of the Gore del Callao.
The tax proceedings were also accompanied by the agents of the Special Response Groups for Organized Crime (GRECCO). According to the PNP Anti-Corruption Director, Luis Lira, 8 public officials under investigation have been detained. The operation was also carried out in the logistics and warehouse offices of Gore del Callao, places where elements of conviction for the investigations were found.
At the time of the raid, Castle He was not at his home in La Punta. A preliminary detention order for 15 days weighs on him. “The man has no longer been seen, we have not seen him since the resolution (of the raid) came out,” Lira explained.
Of the 11 preliminary arrest warrants issued, 4 people were located and 3 are outside the country.
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The case
According to the prosecutor’s thesis, this alleged criminal organization, which would have been directed by Red Castledirected hiring in the Regional Government of Callao and in the Administration Committee of the Educational Fund of Callao (Cafed) for an amount of S/ 1,461,121.10.
He Public Ministry It maintains that Gore officials and servants would have taken advantage of their positions to award contracts for amounts less than or equal to 8 UIT to 2 suppliers, with the aim of evading the selection processes established by law. Even when tenders were held for other items, companies changed their activities in Sunat to be able to obtain contracts.
These contracts, allegedly irregular, would have started during Castillo’s administration – from January 2023 to February 2024 – and would reach a total of 63 awards.
As a result of these alleged illicit coordinations, the Prosecutor’s Office detailed, 34 purchase orders and three service orders were issued in favor of a supplier for a total amount of S/ 874,575. In addition, there are another 16 purchase orders and three service orders in favor of another supplier, for an amount of S/ 518,525.
Similarly, at Cafed Callao, four purchase orders for S/ 44,196.10 and three additional purchase orders for S/ 23,825 were allegedly directed, under the same modus operandi.
Arrests
During the raid on the 27 properties, the Prosecutor’s Office and the PNP preliminarily detained four people under investigation: Luis Blanco Cabrera, alleged supplier to the Regional Government of Callao; César Arango Huaringa, warehouse manager of the institution; Daniel Villalobos Sampén, Gore Callao specialist; and Wilmer Meza Natividad, hiring coordinator.
In addition to Castillo, the Judiciary ordered the preliminary detention for 15 days of Jimmy Whu Cárdenas, FAG advisor, and Hiromi Zúñiga Jáuregui, head of the Gore Callao Logistics Office, who would have coordinated with institution personnel to favor specific suppliers through the issuance of purchase and service orders.
Ciro Castillo’s lawyer speaks out after raid
Humberto Abanto, Ciro Castillo’s lawyer, indicated that he was not notified of the existence of the tax file and that they were not asked to release the case either. Likewise, Abanto announced that they will file an appeal to annul the raid carried out.
Meanwhile, the lawyer indicated that the prosecutor’s investigation at his client’s house was “declared fruitless” because no evidence was found to contribute to the investigation. However, he avoided declaring the whereabouts of the regional governor. “I’m not going to answer those kinds of questions,” he said.
