A museum housed in the premises of Ecuador's presidency in Quito was inspected on Tuesday July 26 by the public prosecutor's office in connection with an alleged disappearance of heritage objects, a case that affects former president Lenín Moreno (2017- 2021).
The prosecution said on Twitter that it had "
carried out an expertise at the Carondelet museum, as part of an investigation for an alleged offense of embezzlement, linked to the alleged disappearance of heritage objects
".
The communication service of the presidency indicated for its part that President Guillermo Lasso “
has ordered the full collaboration of the administrative units, by providing all the facilities necessary for the investigation
”.
The prosecution announced on Monday that it is investigating Lenín Moreno, current commissioner of the Organization of American States (OAS) for persons with disabilities, for alleged embezzlement related to the Carondelet museum.
Read alsoEcuador: Lasso accuses indigenous protesters of leading “a coup”
Imprescriptible in Ecuador, this crime, which includes the appropriation of property, is punishable by up to 13 years in prison.
Lenín Moreno, who resides in Paraguay, maintains that during his administration, the heritage assets that were in Carondelet "
were duly handed over to the competent institutions for their registration and conservation
".
He admitted to having "
collected axes and some ceramic pieces for more than 40 years
", but of a value which "
does not even exceed $800
".