The former mayors of Silvia, Gabriel Eduardo Pillimue Potosí, and of Villa Rica, Arie Aragón, both in the department of Cauca, were sent to jail.
In the first case, he was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison for the crimes of embezzlement by appropriation and contract without compliance with legal requirements.
The former treasurer of that town, Kevin Amilkar Calambás, and the individuals, Héctor Jairo Bonilla López and José Fernando Naranjo Zambrano, were also sentenced to six years in prison for the crime of embezzlement by appropriation.
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This legal decision was issued after a prosecutor from the Specialized Directorate against Corruption established that, in February 2008, the then mayor and treasurer of Silvia delivered 1,500 million pesos to Naranjo Zambrano, who was a business advisor for a private company, whose manager was Bonilla López.
The specialized anti-corruption director, Eduar Alirio Calderón, pointed out that the former municipal president delivered more than 1,500 million pesos to this private company that invested them in Treasury Titles (TES). “With this illegal maneuver, a patrimonial detriment of 474 million pesos was caused.”
He added that “additionally, it showed that the private company that managed the 1,500 million pesos was not authorized to perform functions as a bank, stock broker, nor was it registered or recognized on the stock exchanges, so it could not raise money.”
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The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on the other hand that “it was identified that the final interest for the operation generated interest in excess of 500 million pesos. However, the municipal administration it only received 73 million, as had been irregularly agreed, which caused a patrimonial detriment that amounted to 474 million pesos.”
The ruling against those involved imposed fines of 488 million pesos for the former mayor and 474 million pesos for the other sentenced. The prosecution body also specified that the sentence must be served in a prison as soon as the sentence is executed.
This process was a consequence of the scandal involving Probolsa SA, a firm that motivated risky investments with money from public institutions that were dedicated to health and education.
In the case of the former mayor of Villa Rica, he was sentenced to five years and two months in prison for the crimes of malfeasance, entering into contracts without complying with legal requirements, and embezzlement. Three other former officials were arrested in the same operation.
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The former president, in addition to having to serve 64 months in intramural prison, must pay 66.66 SMLV ($77,325,600).
Arie Aragón had already had a hearing to legalize the capture requested by the Second Delegate Prosecutor’s Office before the Superior Court of Popayán, for the aforementioned crimes committed in execution of contract 044 of 2011, provision of professional services, for an audit, for 20 million pesos.
The arrest was made on Tuesday, April 28, 2015, but on Tuesday, July 28 of that same year, a judge in control of guarantees in the city of Popayán revoked the seizure measure.
The process continued its march and last week it was the First Criminal Judge of the Puerto Tejada Circuit who issued the sentences described.
This decision is of first instance and the people involved in the process stated that they will file the respective appeals within the legal deadlines.
MICHEL FRANCOIS ROMOLEROUX HALABY
POPAYAN
