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In Guatemala, they arrest new suspects involved in a corruption scheme known as "La Línea"

2020-08-14T01:46:04.835Z


According to the Prosecutor's Office, the detainees participated in the scheme between May 2014 and April 2015, in which they illegally charged the equivalent of more than US $ 665.00 and defrauded ...


(CNN Spanish) - At least six people were arrested this Wednesday in different parts of Guatemala for their alleged participation in a corruption scheme that even influenced the resignation of former President Otto Pérez Molina and former Vice President Roxana Baldetti in 2015.

The arrests were made in 26 raids carried out in the departments of Guatemala, Zacapa, Jutiapa, El Progreso, El Petén and Izabal, and which sought the "seizure of evidence" in the case of customs fraud known as La Línea, reported the Public Ministry in a statement and on social media.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the detainees participated in the scheme between May 2014 and April 2015, in which they illegally charged the equivalent of more than US $ 665.00 and defrauded the Guatemalan government with more than US $ 1,800,000.

The Public Ministry did not say where the detainees would be transferred.

This is how La Línea operated

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation points to the existence of 3 business systems that were allegedly dedicated to the importation of merchandise at the Puerto Quetzal, Central and Santo Tomás de Castilla customs.

Using these systems, the suspects allegedly negotiated with importers the value of the taxes to be paid for the entry of merchandise, in exchange for an illegal charge called "cola".

"The criminal activity carried out ... had a direct impact on the collection of taxes for imports from Guatemala, thus diverting what should be part of the public treasury to individuals, defrauding the State of Guatemala," said the Public Ministry in the statement.

Pérez Molina and Baldetti were identified by the authorities as the alleged leaders of La Línea in 2015. Both resigned their positions after the accusations and have been in prison awaiting trial since that year.

Both have denied in court and publicly their participation in the corruption plot.

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Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-08-14

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