The Bicameral Investigation Commission (CBI) on money laundering, summoned Zully Rolón, minister of the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad), René Fernández, minister of the National Anti-Corruption Secretariat (Senac) and Judge Claudia Criscioni, who presided over the trial. of Ramón González Daher for usury and which ended in conviction.
This will be the third meeting of the CBI, which first convened José Cantero, head of the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) and Carlos Arregui, head of the Money Laundering Prevention Secretariat (Seprelad). In the second week, he summoned José Ortiz, president of Tabacaleras del Este (Tabesa SA) and Erico Galeano, president of Tabacalera Hernandarias without success since the former refused to testify and the latter claimed to have a Covid-19 condition.
QUEREY
Jorge Querey, national senator for the Guasu Front and president of the Bicameral Money Laundering Investigation Commission (CBI), affirmed that despite the difficulties generated by the tobacco growers’ meeting, they are making good progress and are committed to Public entities are going to send documentation, apart from those that are already public, such as those belonging to the Federal Police of Brazil, which collected them on its website.
“We are going to make the report. As far as possible, we are going to listen to all the actors, whether for or against these issues. For that conclusion to be useful,” he commented.
He affirmed that the authorities who will present themselves today Tuesday are public officials, so the same thing that happened with José Ortiz, who refused to testify on the recommendations of his lawyer, will not happen.
“At any invitation they usually attend and give a statement. I don’t see why it should be the exception. Where is the discussion is in articulating. Where there is a reluctance to that kind of control,” she commented.
Regarding the statements of Marcelo Duarte, a former national senator for the Patria Querida party (PPQ), who stated that the CBI does not have the authority of the Public Ministry to carry out interrogations, he stated that everyone has their opinion. But the CBI does not find anyone guilty or innocent.
“The only thing that is done is to have as much information as possible in such a way to write a report that is a guide to the National Congress to take legislative measures or coordination with other powers of the State,” he commented.
RAMIREZ
Hugo Ramírez, national deputy for the ANR (pro-government party) and member of the CBI, expressed for his part that in our country there is a business model that generates unfair competition from the political and economic point of view. Because the construction of a candidacy requires time and effort.
“How can a candidate who lives on his salary and has small investments compete against a bottomless purse? That is why it is unfair competition. How does an entrepreneur who has to ask for loans and is exposed to the ups and downs of the market compete against a business model that not even a global crisis moves him? That is why we are waiting for what this commission can do. I have high hopes that it will be a useful tool for jurisdictional bodies so that they can combat this scourge,” he commented.
He questioned that when they describe this investigation as “political persecution”, they demonstrate the contempt they feel for people’s intelligence.
