The judicial process also implicated his cousin, Rodolfo Caram, and his partner, Stefany Severo, who were held responsible for continued fraud regarding the payment of overtime that Severo received without having worked.
Both reached an agreement with prosecutor Federico Rodríguez, in which they accepted a sentence of 24 months in prison, which will instead be served with 10 months of community service, performing tasks for four hours a day.
In addition, both Rodolfo Caram and Stefany Severo will be banned from holding public office for five years and will have to pay a fine of more than $40,000 each, equivalent to 1,000 indexed units.
Pablo Caram, for his part, faces a similar charge and, probably, a sentence of community service instead of a custodial sentence.
The appearance of Valentina Dos Santos
In the same case, former deputy Valentina Dos Santos, who recently resigned to soon assume the mayor’s office, was scheduled to appear before the Prosecutor’s Office at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Her lawyer, Jorge Barrera, was in negotiations with the Prosecutor’s Office on the terms of a settlement for his client. Dos Santos was named by the head of Human Resources at the municipality as one of the instigators of the fraud scheme, providing evidence in the form of audio recordings and messages in which she ordered the payment of unjustified overtime.
The origins of the case regarding irregular overtime
The trigger was a complaint filed in March of last year by councilors of the Frente Amplio and the Colorado Party, who detected irregular payments for overtime during Caram’s administration.
Previously, in February, a pay stub for Stefany Severo had already circulated, which showed a large payment for 209 hours of overtime and 39 hours on holidays corresponding to November. This receipt detail totaled an income of $108,000 for those concepts alone. The pattern was repeated in December, with even higher figures.
Faced with these irregularities, Caram moved his cousin Rodolfo from the position of General Secretary to that of Director of Productive Development, in an attempt to calm tensions, although he maintained that there was no evidence of irregularities or crimes, according to statements by the then general secretary of the administration, Emiliano Soravilla.
Caram sentenced to prison, but will not be behind bars
The sentence affects Caram with a 14-month prison sentence, which will be replaced by probation, which he will fulfill by carrying out community service for four months at the rate of two hours per week.
It should be noted that the crime in question, stipulated in article 177 of the Penal Code, does not contemplate disqualification from public office or significant financial fines, thus differentiating itself from other crimes against public office.
