After the Senate board meeting, Jorge Querey, a national senator for the Guasu Front, gave a press conference where he released new data linking Horacio Cartes’ Tabacalera del Este (Tabesa) with organized crime. Querey is head of a commission that investigates the former president’s links to money laundering.
Every Tuesday, the Bicameral Commission of Investigation (CBI) on money laundering meets to investigate alleged links between Cartes and money laundering crimes. Precisely, in its seventh session held last week, the former president was summoned. But, through his lawyer, he argued that he had privileges for which he was not obliged to appear and demanded the questions in writing. Due to this situation, Querey announced that between tomorrow, Wednesday or Thursday, he will appeal to a criminal judge of guarantees to demand judicial proceedings from the ex-president who comes to testify.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Querey reported that Tabesa and other tobacco companies made transfers back and forth with a company called DWA Private based in Singapore. It is a company dedicated to the manufacture of cigarettes, tobacco and its derivatives. But the problem with this company is that it is investigated and notified by FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, in Spanish: Control of financial crimes) for the transfer and mobilization of resources linked to North Korea and trafficking in nuclear elements. “It is extremely worrying that we are on the roadmap for a situation like this. Therefore, the clarification and appearance is important to have what they could explain, “he said.
The reason why Cartes was summoned by the former president revolves around the need to clarify details about transfers and irregular stocks of many companies linked to Tabesa from the Cartes business group. That they have a high risk profile for money laundering. These companies are characterized by having a large amount of physical resources, a capital increase that is not compatible with their commercial relationship and inter-company transfers that are not justified. “These transfers abroad to Brazil and Mexico draw attention since they are not countries where a lot of tobacco production goes,” he said.
In the event that Cartes refuses to appear again, despite the request of a criminal judge for guarantees, he is exposed to three sanctions; a fine to be determined, 15 days of symbolic house arrest or that the public force take him by force to the summons.
