New police chiefs were appointed in Cerro Largo and Treinta y Tres, as reported by the Ministry of the Interior this Friday in a statement. Minister Luis Alberto Heber had declared on Wednesday at a press conference that the change of departmental heads was being evaluated, without mentioning any names.
The leadership of Cerro Largo will be in charge of Marcelo Suárez, who until now was general commissioner. This leadership has undergone changes in recent months, after José Adán Olivera left office in December while being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office for revealing confidential information in an investigation for alleged crimes of smuggling and police corruption, for which he was later charged. Commissioner General Ignacio González, who served as deputy chief, has held the position as interim chief since then.
In the case of Treinta y Tres, Chief Commissioner Richard Lima will hold the position of Police Chief of the department, thus relieving the retired commissioner general Gustavo Silveira, who is being investigated for omission in a corruption case. Silveira had been denounced by an officer belonging to the police union due to a series of alleged acts of corruption which involved, among other things, the demand for a bribe payment of $5,000 to Investigations agents each time a whistleblower requested their help in finding stolen items.
Suárez and Lima will assume their positions in the coming days, according to the statement.
