Congress requested reopening the investigation of former president Luis Guillermo Solís 

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

With a favorable vote of 38 deputies, Congress agreed to request the Prosecutor's Office again investigate the former president Luis Guillermo Solís, for the alleged relationship with businessman Juan Carlos Bolaños.

The case involves imported Chinese cement, a case known as Cementazo.

Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera was the President of Costa Rica from 2014 to 2018.

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 request 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, Solís was called "Big Chief ", by several government executives, 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 ”.

The president of the Congress, Deputy Carlos Ricardo Benavides Jiménez said the deputies of the previous government, concluded former president Solís, “lacked the duty of probity, following article 3 of the Anti-Corruption Law and Illicit Enrichment in the Public Function, specifically in the following:

- He did not act on equal terms for the inhabitants of the country.

- His decisions did not adhere to impartiality and the objectives of the institution for which he represented.

-He failed the administration of public resources related to the principles of efficiency and economy, rendering accounts unsatisfactory.

Congress also asks that the Legislative Assembly be notified of the results of the new investigation for a maximum period of three months.

Also, deputies propose designating a working group that develops the corresponding manuals or processes for investigation and notifications and thus avoid irregularities that erode the legitimacy of the work of the Public Ethics Office.

Similarly, it was asked to the Attorney General to report to Congress on the progress and results of this recommendation, within a suggested period of three months maximum.

In June, A.M. Costa Rica reported on the updated report from the General Prosecutor's Office which confirms that for approximately 23 months, the agents have conducted a thorough investigation.

There is a list of 10 people accused and the opening of 22 criminal cases along with the investigation of 50,000 files.

Additionally, they have requested five operations with raids in 14 sites, 18 seizures with their respective analysis and 69 interviews with witnesses.


The Cementazo case is a political scandal of suspicion of corruption that was revealed by the media in 2017. A loan of $31.5 million from the Bank of Costa Rica to businessman Juan Carlos Bolaños was denounced for irregularities.

The investigations have uncovered an alleged case of influence peddling and questions the employer's relationship with members of the government, including deputies, the Supreme Court of Justice authorities and the presidency, as well as members of different political parties.

In summary, the bank loaned Bolaños $31.5 million in November 2015 to import cement from China.

Bank managers changed regulations and the Ministry of Economy also made changes to favor Bolaños.

According to the Superintendency of Financial Institutions, it is unknown what the entrepreneur has done with $12.3 million that he did not use. He kept $12.3 million in his accounts for six months before returning it to the bank, the investigation disclosed.

Other public banks also made loans to Bolaños, who managed to obtain a total of $45.5 million.

Bolaños was arrested on November 2017 and detained until May 2019 when a judge ordered him placed on house arrest while the investigations continue.

According to the attorney general, Emilia Navas-Aparicio, "it is a complex case, not only because of the number of suspects but of the type of corruption that is being investigated and because it involves the government authorities."

"The people may be sure that the case is getting plenty of attention, adequately being addressed, and processed. We had to work day and night to recover time that had been lost by the inaction of the past," said Navas.

Currently, the Attorney General's Office is investigating $36 million that appears to be refunds of money made in 46 transactions.



------------------------
Should the Attorney General's Office 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

---

---

---

Want to write or gripe
about Costa Rica?

Want to submit an event
to our calendar?

Send all the information news@amcostarica.com

Profile pictures are welcome too !

-No defamatory pieces will be accepted.
-We reserve the right to publish.

---

---

---