By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's
office of Guanacaste, Friday informed
the Attorney General's Office of
another accusation against the mayor
of Santa Cruz*,
María Rosa López-Gutiérrez, for crimes
of alleged illicit enrichment and
legislation for her own benefit.
In addition to the accusation against
mayor López Gutiérrez, the former
mayor, Jorge Chavarría-Cantillo, who
was mayor 2011 to 2016 was also
charged. The accusation against former
mayor Chavarría-Cantillo, is for the
crime of using influence against the
interest of public finances.
The prosecutor's investigation filed
the first case of alleged illicit
enrichment against the current mayor
for apparently for having received
more than ¢84,000,000 ($137,869)
illegally. This corresponds to about
65 percent over the base salary and
exceeds the salary cap. This occurred
between February 2011 and May 2015.
This means that the mayor received an
extra salary without having the legal
requirements to obtain this benefit.
The Prosecutor's investigation also
filed an accusation against former
mayor Chavarría Cantillo, for the
offense of influence against the
interest of public finances, because
he ordered the inclusion of the
current mayor in the municipality's
payroll as an employee of the
municipality and authorized the
payment of the extra salary.
The prosecution made an additional
accusation against Mayor
López-Gutiérrez, for legislating for
her own benefit. In this case, the
Municipal Council agreed to hire an
external lawyer to process the
cancellation of the administrative
procedures that allowed the alleged
improper payment of more than
¢84,000,000. Mayor Lopez vetoed the
hiring of the lawyer and with that,
avoided the suspension of the extra
salary.
This is not the only accusation
against López-Gutiérrez. Last year the
Prosecutor's office filed two other
accusations.
In July 2018, as A.M. Costa Rica
reported, the Anti-Corruption
Prosecutor's Office seized documents
in the Santa Cruz
Municipality*. Documents
from human resources were targeted and
are related to an investigation into
Mayor López-Gutiérrez.
The prosecutor's report states that
the investigation includes several
incidents in which Mayor López was
directly charged.
Of the
"presumed irregularities” allegedly
committed by the mayor are at least
16 alleged illegal hirings and
documents related to those hirings
were taken by the police, said the
prosecutor's report.
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Santa Cruz
Municipality courtesy photo
The prosecutor's
investigation filed the
case of alleged illicit
enrichment against the
current mayor for
apparently María Rosa
López-Gutiérrez
having received more than
¢84,000,000 ($137,869).
The prosecutor stated that
this investigation is in
its initial state and the
police are gathering
evidence to determine
whether or not an unlawful
act was committed.
In addition to this case,
Mayor Lopez was being
investigated for a case
related to a possible
rental of a building.
Details of that rental are
being questioned by the
General Comptroller.
In that case, the
Comptroller's Office
declared in April that
Mayor Lopez was
"administratively
responsible for the degree
of gross negligence for
this rent.” López was
sanctioned and filed an
appeal which was not
granted.
The Office of the
Comptroller confirmed that
Mayor López responsible
for allowing the rental
contract, "without prior
verification that it was
contracted with a
procedure in accordance
with the law."
According to the file "It
is believed that the party
investigated (referring to
Mayor Lopez), not just
participated in the
process but also concurred
with her signature
expressly ordering to
contract that real estate
for a period of one year
and with a monthly price
of ¢900,000.00 colones
($1,477)."
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Should
the mayor resign?
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*Reach the
place on google maps.
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