STATEMENT 053 | Photo: Canal Antigua.
The High-Risk Court “B” Judge, Miguel ÁngelGálvez, decided to bind over for trial 25 members of a criminal structure led by the former Mayor of Antigua Guatemala, Adolfo VivarMarroquín, who is accused of committing acts of corruption in the period 2008-2013.
At the opening hearing, judge Gálvez established that members of the city council, employees, entrepreneurs, managers of a banking agency auditors of the office of the Comptroller General of Accounts engaged in actions aimed at facilitating acts of corruption, as well as hiding the illegal origin of the funds.
Therefore, the judge ruled that the defendants must stand trial for the following crimes:
- Adolfo VivarMarroquín, conspiracy, racketeering, fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering.
- María Mercedes Reyes Carías, conspiracy and money laundering.
- Mauricio Chivichón López, conspiracy and money laundering.
- Sandra Leticia Amado Molina De Vivar,conspiracy, racketeering, fraud and aggravated theft.
- Leonel Rodrigo Amado Molina, conspiracy, money laundering, fraud, and extortion.
- Claudia Suzzette Vela Sagastume, conspiracy, fraud and racketeering.
- Ana Elisa Coloma Gaytan de Amado, conspiracy, fraud and racketeering.
- Fernando Julián Ernesto Bolaños Ochoa, conspiracy and racketeering.
- Edgar Enrique Monterroso Chan, conspiracy, passive bribery, and embezzlement.
- Edgar Ruiz Paredes. Conspiracy, fraud and embezzlement.
- Carlos Américo López Gutiérrez, conspiracy, passive bribery, and embezzlement.
- Carlos Roberto Mérida Reynoso, conspiracy, passive bribery and embezzlement.
- Edgar Enrique Monterroso Chan, conspiracy, passive bribery and embezzlement.
- Guisela Eugenia Monroy Castillo,conspiracy and embezzlement.
- Josué Joel García Resendiz, conspiracy, fraud and embezzlement.
- Cesar Augusto SarazúaMarroquín, conspiracy, racketeering, and use of false documents.
- Carlos Joél Mendoza Pérez, conspiracy and fraud.
- Sergio Estuardo Cruz Cortés, conspiracy and fraud.
- Orlando Cruz Merlos, passive Bribery and dereliction of duty.
- Carlos Alejandro de León Morales, passive Bribery and dereliction of duty.
- Aurelio de Jesús Pineda González, passive Bribery and dereliction of duty.
- Carlos Enrique Palacios Samayoa, passive Bribery and dereliction of duty.
- Mynor Roberto Herrera Obregón, extortion, embezzlement and money laundering.
- Erick Eduardo Arévalo Morales, conspiracy, racketeering, and fraud.
- María Mercedes Arreaga, conspiracy, fraud, and racketeering.
The case was dismissed for the following persons:
- Aura Julia Molina Rogel
- CinthyaCáceres Toledo de Herrera
- José Cristobal Tazen Ortiz
Background
The former mayor of Antigua Guatemala, Adolfo VivarMarroquín, and the other defendants were part of a criminal structure that diverted the resources of the commune by creating several companies, some of them dedicated to the construction. These companies were awarded overvalued projects. Fraud in this commune amounted to Q23 million.
They also misappropriated funds by paying alleged workers of the municipality and services that were never rendered. The Eminent Domain Court took nine properties that belonged to Mr. VivarMarroquín, who could not justify the legal origin of the assets acquired from 2008 to 2013.
The case was stopped by a peremptory challenge that the defense attorney César Calderon filed against judge Miguel ÁngelGálvez.