Sergio Perovic, the husband of former mayor Angélica Sosa, He died this morning in the Argentine city of San Salvador de Jujuy. His death took not only his relatives by surprise, but also the Prosecutor’s Office, which is following a criminal proceeding for the so-called ‘prestin’ case.
Perovic began to be investigated by the Public Ministry on February 2, when he was initiated a process for the crime of legitimization of illicit profits, after Javier Cedeño, former director of Human Resources of the Cruceña Mayor’s Office, accused him of lending money to public officials with money from the alleged ghost items.
Cedeño, who is detained in the Palmasola prison, explained to the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Departmental Prosecutor’s Office that the economic resources that Perovic lent came from the proceeds for the 800 ghost items. This case was called prestín.
“An investigation has been opened against this citizen and immediately the investigative acts began and the crime for which he is accused is legitimization of illicit profits (…), We will not give many details of the process so as not to hinder the investigations, “said prosecutor Yolanda Aguilera, on February 2 , regarding this research.
This is how Perovic became the main person investigated in the Prestín case, after some protected witnesses accused him of make money loans with 10% interest. Julio Cesar Herbas, a former municipal official, is detained in Palmasola because he had benefited from a $250,000 loan with this modality.
However, prior to this process, the husband of the mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra had volunteered twice to the Prosecutor’s Office to give his statement as a witness for the alleged 800 ghost items.
On December 20, Perovic arrived at the offices of the Prosecutor’s Office to request a statement and the prosecutors’ commission made up of Javier Cordero, Marcela Terceros and Yolanda Aguilera scheduled it for the 29th of that month, but that day he decided to refrain from giving his testimony, after being advised by the lawyer Jerjes Justiniano, who also defends Sosa.
“To avoid any type of distortion in your declaration or that it is misunderstood, (Sergio Perovic) has decided, at our suggestion as his legal defense, to avail himself of his right to remain silent”, explained Justiniano, at that time.
He traveled to see his mother
On February 16, the lawyer Jerjes Justiniano reported that Sergio Perovic traveled by plane to the city of San Salvador de Jujuy, in Argentina, to visit his mother, who was in a delicate state of health. In addition, at that time, he commented that the defendant in the Prestin case had no date of return to Santa Cruz.
This trip was questioned by the departmental director of Migration, Jorge Daga, who announced that Perovic did not leave the country by regular means, since there is a migratory alert about him and also there are no reports of your departure on an air flight.
During these three months that the defendant was in Argentina, the prosecutors commission continued with the ‘prestín’ case and the departmental prosecutor Roger Mariaca reported that the accused was summoned through press releases, so that he appears to testify as an investigator.
Just this Tuesday Sergio Perovic was heard again, but unfortunately it was learned that he had died inside the house where his brothers and mother lived, in Jujuy. According to lawyer Justiniano, the event was due to a deep depression where the man entered.
“There is only one open case against Perovic, which is the so-called ‘prestín’ and for these cases the law establishes that, when the person dies, the criminal action is extinguished, therefore, it will be able to continue the process against other people involved, but in relation to the architect’s husband it will not continue, “added Justiniano.
The Prosecutor’s Office is still waiting to receive the official notification.he of the defendant’s deathby the Argentine authorities, to later issue a statement on the subject.
Husband of the former mayor
Sergio Perovic was born in Jujuy, Argentina. He married Angélica Sosa after meeting her at university from Córdoba, where together they studied architecture, to later arrive at the department of Santa Cruz. The couple had four children, three girls and one boy.
Sosa was president of the Municipal Council and interim mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, However, on December 24, 2021, she was sent to the Palmasola prison, after being accused of the crimes of breach of duties, legitimization of illicit profits, uneconomic conduct and contracts harmful to the State, within the so-called ‘ghost items’ case.
As for Perovic, he was prosecuted for the ‘prestín’ case and accused by Javier Cedeño, former director of Human Resources, of serve as his wife’s personal adviser and receive a salary with municipal resources.