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 Solís will have to answer questions about a housing project that was allegedly led by a man surnamed Cartín who was investigated for possible links with drug trafficking. - EFE archive photo - |
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Published on Wednesday, August 25,
2021
Unanimously, the deputies of the commission that analyzes the alleged interference of drug trafficking in politics, approved a motion to call former president Luis Guillermo Solís to an audience. Solís governed from 2014 to 2018 and also won the elections as the presidential candidate of the same political party, Partido Acción Ciudadana, of the current President Carlos Alvarado. According to Congress, at the hearing, Solís will have to answer questions about a housing project that was allegedly led by a man surnamed Cartín who was investigated for possible links with drug trafficking. Floria Segregas, the deputy proposing the motion for the Solís hearing, considers that it is important to have his version in that case. This is the second time that Congress has asked to open an investigation to former President Solís. In 2019, with a favorable vote of 38 deputies, Congress agreed to request the Prosecutor's Office investigate the former president Solís, for the alleged relationship with a businessman surnamed Bolaños and the case involves imported Chinese cement, known as Cementazo. According to the statement made by Congress, the Special Investigative Commission recommends opening the investigation and disqualifying former President Solis from holding public office. A minority group of deputies recommends notifying the Office of the Attorney General of Public Ethics about the non-applicability of confidentiality reports and resolutions. According to deputies, this affected the proper processing of the document with the institution. The majority of deputies also requested an investigation be opened to the Public Ethics Prosecutor's Office because there was no record of emails that demonstrate information exchanges of people related to the case. According to the statement of the Congress, "it is not acceptable to this Commission, that the Attorney General's Office has not investigated elements that would clarify the role of former president Solís. Such as, why several government executives called Solís the "Big Chief," visits from Juan Carlos Bolaños to the Presidential House, situations that occurred in the Bank of Costa Rica and any other evidence that directly responded to the responsibility or involvement by the former president.” In July 2021, the Attorney General's Office requested the opening of a lawsuit against businessman Bolaños; the former Director of Customs surnamed Coghi; the former deputy Víctor Morales Zapata and the former vice-minister of Income, Fernando Rodríguez, for the cementazo case, related to the importation of cement from China. According to the Prosecutor's Office, there is the necessary evidence to accuse Morales Zapata and Rodríguez Garro y Coghi as persons linked to the case. Bolaños was arrested in November 2017 and detained until May 2019 when a judge ordered him placed under house arrest while the investigations continue. ------------- Should the Attorney General speed up the investigation in this case which allegedly involves high levels of government? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com             
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