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Prosecutor’s Office initiates another criminal proceeding against Espinel
Posted On 21 Nov 2018
Ecuadornews:
TheProsecutor’s Office has initiated a new criminal proceeding against the formerofficial of Rafael Correa and Lenin Moreno, Iván Espinel, for the alleged crimeof illicit enrichment.
JudgeAna Veintimilla accepted the request of the Prosecutor’s Office and issued anorder for preventive detention against Espinel, as it considered that there areclear indications of the existence of the crime. In addition, it ordered theprohibition of alienation of property, including a property in an urbanizationvia Samborondón and a vehicle owned by him, as well as the withholding of bankaccounts in order to guarantee an eventual integral reparation to the State.
The hearingwas held today in the Multicompetent Judicial Unit of the canton of Samborondón, where the Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against the formerex-candidate for the presidency, Iván Espinel, for his alleged participation inthe aforementioned crime.
Accordingto the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the accounting report made to determined that approximately USD 490,000.00 would not be duly justifiedin its financial declaration.
This refers to the acquisition of real estate located on the road to Samborondón and valued at USD 370,500; a vehicle valued at USD 36,221; movements in credit cards for an amount of USD 108,520 and bank accounts for approximately $ 63,450.
Theprosecutor who follows the case, Juan Carlos Zúñiga, presented several elementsof conviction that would make presume the participation of Espinel in the crimebeing investigated, among these is the Report with Indications of Criminal Responsibility issued by the Comptroller General of the State based on the special examination carried out on the affidavits of the accused, corresponding to the years 2012, 2013 and 2014, while Espinel served as director of the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS).
Inaddition, a Report of Unusual and Unjustified Operations of the Financial andEconomic Analysis Unit (UAFE); as well as the statements of the Internal Revenue Service (SRI), an accounting report and versions of public servants.
During the proceeding, the representatives of the General Comptroller’s Office, the Procurator’s Office and the IESS intervened as procedural parties.
Theformer secretary of state has been deprived of his liberty since September 21when he was called to trial along with three others tried for the alleged crimeof money laundering. (I)
