-Published: Wednesday, October 16, 2019-

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
 
The Deputy Prosecutor's Office of Fraud announced the formal accusation against a man surnamed Villagra-Martínez for 323 alleged scams with housing projects in condominiums.

According to the prosecutor, the process of involving alleged victims in the case has begun.

"Each person will have a period of three days to communicate if they wish to become a complainant, that is if through a lawyer they make a private accusation, and whether or not they will file a civil action to claim an economic amount for the damages. Suffered," said the prosecutor in its statement. "Subsequently, you will have 10 more days to send these documents."

At the end of both deadlines, the prosecutor must send the accusation, together with the possible claims of the victims to the Criminal Court, so that it will schedule the respective preliminary hearing in which it will be determined if the case goes to an oral and public trial.

In addition to the main suspect, the prosecutor also accused a woman surnamed Vargas-Solano, who, according to the investigation, would be linked to some of the alleged scams.

According to the investigation, apparently, the victims made payments to the company Casas Vita, owned by Villagra, for the purchase of homes or apartments in projects promoted by that company. However, the victims never received their homes.

According to the Fraud Prosecutor's Office, the amounts of the alleged losses vary from case to case. These would range from $ 5,000 to even $400,000, the prosecutor said.

Also, in a hearing held before a Judge, the prosecutor managed to extend the precautionary measure of preventive detention against Villagra until February 2020.

According to Mario Alberto Valverde, attorney of more than 100 victims, the fraud is estimated at more than $3 million.

Villagra was arrested in August 2018, as A.M. Costa Rica reported, when he tried to take an international flight from Juan Santamaría Airport in Alajuela.

The suspect was arrested because the Public Ministry issued an immigration alert to detained him if he tried to leave the country.

Chief Prosecutor Emilia Navas justified the action because there had been more complaints registered against Villagra. Those complaints were compiled after several properties were raided in May 2018.

"It's not just a problem of economic content, it also has to do with their life projects and with the right to have a decent home," said Chief Prosecutor Navas.








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