After participating in a meeting with the leadership of the Senate, the prosecutor explained that “for what little” he was able to analyze, there are no coincidences between what was sent by Seprelad and the data that was published by the media.
“What was received as an intelligence report is a primary conclusion, because there are still some edges under construction by the (SET) Undersecretary of State for Taxation) itself, which is making some audits. The line of work continues. These types of leaks make work difficult.”, said the prosecutor.
Regarding the content of the document, the representative of the Public Ministry assured that he had not yet been able to analyze it carefully due to technical problems with the system.
“The system arrived at my office on the 24th of last week; I had a technical problem. I was in contact with Seprelad and last week I was able to download”, she assured.
The Public Ministry of Paraguay received a report from the government’s anti-money laundering agency that involves former President Horacio Cartes and companies and individuals linked to him with a network of money laundering and cigarette smuggling.
The data from these operations is part of an “extensive intelligence report” by Seprelad held by the Attorney General, Sandra Quiñónez, whom the Asuncion media often point to as an ally of the former Colorado president.
“A well-done investigation takes time, this is a very large investigation, everything must be consistent,” Legal warned, according to the newspapers Última Hora and ABC Color.
In an extensive list of striking operations that Seprelad found in the movements of the tobacco company Tabesa, it is stated that María Sarah Cartes Jara, Cartes’s sister and main shareholder of Banco Basa, as well as general manager, partner and legal representative of several companies of the Group Cartes, would have acquired between 2017 and 2021 cigarettes for 4.7 million dollars.
It is also noted that the Ramón T. Cartes Foundation purchased cigarettes for $217,000; the company Cecon SAE for 2.3 million and Unicanal Sociedad Anónima -television medium of the group of businessman Javier Bernardes- for 266,000 dollars.
Likewise, the Compañía Agrotabacalera del Paraguay SA and Agrocitrus de Paraguay made purchases for 201,000 and 166,000 dollars, respectively.
In addition, there are some 15 people who died between 2002 and 2011 who carried out purchase operations with Tabacalera del Este SA (Tabesa).
The manager of the company, José Ortiz, said today in radio statements that the operations indicated as suspicious in the Seprelad report are part of loans made between companies of the Cartes Group and that they are “legal” transactions.
The director judged “extremely serious” that the document had been leaked to the press “before sending it to the Public Ministry,” and demanded that Seprelad explain “why it is exposing the country in this way.”
To explain the operations, Ortiz said that Tabesa lent money to “friendly” firms and to those that are part of the same business group.
“Tabacalera del Este, what it does is lend money to Cecon (and other companies) and bill them for interest. Seprelad’s appreciation is very mediocre. They could even put, in their report, that the operation calls their attention, but not that it is for the sale of cigarettes, ”he said.
The sector of the Colorado Party that responds to Horacio Cartes, Honor Colorado, issued a statement in which it expresses its “full trust and solidarity” with the former presidentbecause he is “certain” that all the operations of the former president in the business system “are adequate and comply with the laws and regulations of the country.”
The text denounces a political persecution “to sow hatred” by the other internal sector, the one commanded by the president Mario Abdo Benitezthrough a “manipulation and instrumentation of government bodies.”
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
