Ongoing Judicial Investigation Involves High-Ranking Public Officials
Costa Rican officials, including a mayor and deputy, under investigation for alleged financial misconduct linked to notorious fraud case.
The judicial investigation spearheaded by Costa Rica's Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) has unveiled a complex web involving local officials in alleged financial misconduct associated with criminal activities.
At the center of the scrutiny is Gabriela Jiménez Corrales, the Mayor of San Ramón, alongside Leslye Bojorges, a deputy of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC), who are part of a broader probe into the so-called Madre Patria and subsequent Richter cases.
On November 2, 2023, a recorded phone conversation reportedly captured Jiménez, then a municipal candidate, agreeing with bus company owner Jonathan Herrera González on receiving an untraceable cash donation.
This exchange is now a critical piece of evidence in the judiciary’s investigation into financial irregularities and political donations aimed at avoiding banking system traces.
Herrera was later detained, accused of laundering money through fraudulent activities.
Prior communications suggested that Bojorges might have requested financial contributions from Herrera for Jiménez’s campaign, connecting Jiménez to an ongoing corruption investigation involving multiple high-ranking individuals.
Surveillance footage from the OIJ documented Jiménez arriving at a bus depot in Alajuela to collect the package allegedly containing cash.
Despite her assertions to authorities of only receiving a small amount in coins, no record of such a donation exists with the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE).
President Rodrigo Chaves has publicly defended the implicated officials, including Carlos Ávila, the Vice Minister of Transport, and Marlen Luna, the President of the IFAM, stating no formal charges exist against them at this point.
The case has already seen cellular devices confiscated from individuals to aid ongoing investigations.
The financial scrutiny is rooted in the wider Madre Patria case, initially targeting an organized group accused of extensive fraud and money laundering operations.
The group allegedly engaged in illicit activities to acquire properties, utilizing the proceeds in diverse investments, including public transportation and cryptocurrencies.
The investigation continues as the OIJ explores ties between various public officials and the implicated businesses, indicating the potential depth and breadth of corruption within political and transportation sectors.
Bojorges, amid the allegations, has committed to cooperating with the inquiry, expressing readiness to lift his banking secrecy to clarify dealings involving bus company executives.
The ramifications of this growing scandal appear to widen as key political figures face scrutiny ahead of critical national elections.
At the center of the scrutiny is Gabriela Jiménez Corrales, the Mayor of San Ramón, alongside Leslye Bojorges, a deputy of the Partido Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC), who are part of a broader probe into the so-called Madre Patria and subsequent Richter cases.
On November 2, 2023, a recorded phone conversation reportedly captured Jiménez, then a municipal candidate, agreeing with bus company owner Jonathan Herrera González on receiving an untraceable cash donation.
This exchange is now a critical piece of evidence in the judiciary’s investigation into financial irregularities and political donations aimed at avoiding banking system traces.
Herrera was later detained, accused of laundering money through fraudulent activities.
Prior communications suggested that Bojorges might have requested financial contributions from Herrera for Jiménez’s campaign, connecting Jiménez to an ongoing corruption investigation involving multiple high-ranking individuals.
Surveillance footage from the OIJ documented Jiménez arriving at a bus depot in Alajuela to collect the package allegedly containing cash.
Despite her assertions to authorities of only receiving a small amount in coins, no record of such a donation exists with the Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones (TSE).
President Rodrigo Chaves has publicly defended the implicated officials, including Carlos Ávila, the Vice Minister of Transport, and Marlen Luna, the President of the IFAM, stating no formal charges exist against them at this point.
The case has already seen cellular devices confiscated from individuals to aid ongoing investigations.
The financial scrutiny is rooted in the wider Madre Patria case, initially targeting an organized group accused of extensive fraud and money laundering operations.
The group allegedly engaged in illicit activities to acquire properties, utilizing the proceeds in diverse investments, including public transportation and cryptocurrencies.
The investigation continues as the OIJ explores ties between various public officials and the implicated businesses, indicating the potential depth and breadth of corruption within political and transportation sectors.
Bojorges, amid the allegations, has committed to cooperating with the inquiry, expressing readiness to lift his banking secrecy to clarify dealings involving bus company executives.
The ramifications of this growing scandal appear to widen as key political figures face scrutiny ahead of critical national elections.
