Trial for former Santiago City Council official accused of embezzlement

Accused of embezzlement of millions of dollars, the official is sent to trial on the merits.

SANTIAGO. – The First Court of Instruction of this judicial district decided to send to the trial of substance the case followed against René Guzmán Corporán, former director of Human Resources of the local City Council, accused of millionaire embezzlement to the detriment of the municipal government.

Judge Yeritza Cabral accepted as good and valid the evidence that lawyers Jesus Mendez and Fernando Ramirez, representatives of the cabildo of Santiago, deposited through the Public Ministry, represented by Judge Danioska Garcia, as reported on Wednesday by local authorities through a note.

They recalled that it was due to a public complaint by Mayor Abel Martinez that the population learned of Guzman Corporán’s commission of malicious acts in the human resources department of the cabildo, which resulted in the irregular management of municipal resources. He indicated that this complaint was demonstrated by the evidence presented by the cabildo on the same day of the complaint.

They explained that, on that occasion, the Mayor’s Office summoned the national press and disclosed the alleged irregularities committed by the official who was immediately removed from office and brought to justice for the actions and fled abroad, from where he was requested for extradition and upon his arrival in the country voluntarily in March 2018, was arrested.

The alleged embezzlement also generated the request to the Chamber of Accounts to carry out an audit that would cover the entire management of Guzman Corporán, whose results coincided with the irregularities reported and the formal submission to the justice of the former official.

“Throughout the process, the municipal authorities have spared no effort to have the accused punished, which corresponds to the mayor’s permanent desire to fight and that those responsible for acts in violation of the law and ethics are duly punished,” the press release states.

He said that Abel Martinez had been a standard-bearer so that his management at the head of the local council is an example of transparency, and he continues to make a permanent and responsible effort so that any act that is at odds with ethics and that goes against the institution is translated into the action of justice.