This affaire involves former de facto ministers Arturo Murillo (Interior), and Luis Fernando López (Defense), in addition to four others prosecuted for launching tear gas canisters at protesters who demanded the restoration of the breached constitutional order in November 2019.
“There is convincing evidence stored in the Free Justice Ecosystem, demonstrating the participation by those involved (…)”, the departmental substitute prosecutor of La Paz, Rosario Venegas, noted.
She explained that the prosecution had requested the maximum sentence (10 years) for each defendant, for the crimes of corruption, but the court determined sentences of three, seven and eight years, a decision that prompted the appeal.
Murillo and López were found guilty of incompatible negotiations and signing contracts harmful to the State.
According to reports, the Public Prosecutor is currently awaiting legal notification of conviction sentence, issued on October 4.
This case was initiated to judge the irregular direct contracting process for the exceptional acquisition of anti-riot gases for the Bolivian Police in 2019, which caused economic damages to the State for more than 16 million bolivianos (2.28 million dollars).
For committing such irregularities former Minister Murillo, in addition to the eight-year sentence for engaging in negotiations incompatible with his public duties, was fined 15,000 bolivianos (over 2,100 dollars).
López, meanwhile, was sentenced to eight years for promoting contracts harmful to the State, it was reported.
The former director of Administrative Affairs at the Ministry of Government, Sergio A. Z. B., was sentenced to three years in prison, and the former director of Administrative Affairs of the Ministry of Defense, Ruth R. P. R., to five years.
In addition, the legal representative of the company Bravo Tactical Solutions LLC, Bryan S. B. A., was sentenced to seven years and a fine of 12,000 bolivianos (more than 1,700 dollars) for embezzlement detrimental to the State.
The former head of the so-called Class V Articles Section of the Ministry of Defense, Dennis A. V. R., was acquitted of the charge of contracts harmful to the State and breach of duty.
Another three defendants were sentenced to three years in prison through an abbreviated procedure, according to an institutional report from the representation of the Prosecutor’s Office in the department of La Paz.
Ied/jg/ro/jpm
