Prosecutor Wilson Medrano, in charge of the Lingotes case, reported on the arrest of former prosecutor Ángel Héctor Saavedra Garcí, for breach of duties by facilitating the return of 331 kilos of gold to the Indian citizen Amit Dixit, when he was being investigated for trying to get these gold bars out of the country.
“The departmental prosecutor’s office initiates an ex officio process against this citizen (Ángel Héctor Saavedra García) for the alleged commission of the crime of breach of duties, initially due to a fact in which the now apprehended acted as prosecutor assigned to a bullion case”indicated the prosecutor Medrano.
The case dates back to December 22, 2020, when the company Goldshine SRL tried to illegally export the precious mineral, without paying royalties to the State.
The citizen of Indian nationality, named Amit Dixit, intended to export gold material 16 bars to the United States via Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Aresituation was warned by officials of the National Service of Registration and Control of the Commercialization of Minerals and Metals (Senarecom)who are in charge of the registration and control of the commercialization of minerals, warn this fact and proceed to review the documentationtion that endorsed legal export, when they noticed that this gold material was pretending to be exported irregularly.
The Felcc intervened in the case and the gold bars were seized by Bolivian police personnel for investigation.
During the course of the investigation, the Indian citizen Amit Dixit presents by means of a memorial on December 2020, requesting the return of the kidnapped objects (the 16 ingots); the prosecutor now apprehended, who was the functional director of the investigations, accepts the request made by Amit Dixit, naming him as depositary to the same suspect in this case.
“The documentation did not correspond to the proprietary right over the object that was claimed for return. Each item to be exported must meet certain requirements, such as ownership rights or legal ownership, as well as the corresponding records for the issue of payment of royalties and this situation at the time of requesting the return has not been fulfilled by the citizen. Despite this, the prosecutor assigned to the aforementioned case has ordered the return and appoints the Hindu citizen as a trustee,” explained Medrano.
At the time, there was the opposition from Senarecom, as well as authorities from the national government, who have claimed in writing that this gold material not be returned. It was even suggested that another custodian be appointed and not the same person who was investigated. However, this situation has been omitted by the prosecutor of the matter and the gold bars have been returned, on February 1, 2021.
On February 26, 2021, the verification was made at the address of this citizen and initially he was there, but later it was noticed that the gold disappeared.
“The prosecutor of the matter issued a resolution of rejection exonerating responsibility, under the argument of lack of evidence of materials for the Hindu citizen. However, given the objection of the people who consider themselves victims, the departmental prosecutor has proceeded to revoke it and has restarted it,” said the prosecutor in charge of the case.
“Amit Dixit is currently facing formal accusation for the commission of criminal offenses related to the illegal marketing of minerals and also for the crimes of ideological falsehood and use of a falsified instrument by having tried to surprise the good faith of the State through Senarecom when trying to export said mineral,” concluded Medrano.
