Chilean court admits corruption charges filed against President Piñera

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL –  A court in Santiago admitted an accusation of corruption against President Sebastian Piñera and other former high-ranking officials of his government, local press reported on Saturday, February 27th.

Radio ADN pointed out that the complaint, filed by the Chilean Human Rights Commission (CCHDH), is also directed against former Health Minister Jaime Mañalich and former Deputy Secretary of Healthcare Networks Arturo Zuñiga, and points to mismanagement of resources in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The lawsuit admitted by the Seventh Court of Guarantee of Santiago is related to an audit carried out by the Comptroller General of the Republic in which irregularities were detected in the provision of emergency health infrastructure to face the pandemic.

The CCHDH states in its accusation the existence of “serious background information that leads to investigate, establish responsibility and punish the defendants (…) according to their participation as perpetrators, accomplices or accessories, in accordance with the penalty assigned to the crimes of corruption denounced.”

Likewise, it notes the possible fraud to the treasury for the alleged intervention in irregular contracting and unjustified payments for services not granted.