Ten former officials of the government of former President Mauricio Funes (2009-2014) are accused of misappropriating public funds amounting to two million, 673 thousand dollars.
The trial, criticized by opposition sectors, is being carried out in the Third Court of San Salvador and the former officials are being investigated for the crime of money laundering and illicit enrichment, which is believed to be part of the campaign against corruption by the government and which is mainly focused on opponents.
The defendants are former Minister of Health Violeta Menjívar, former Minister of Finance Juan Ramón Carlos Enrique Cáceres Chávez, former Minister of Labor Calixto Mejía Hernández, former Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Hugo Alexander Flores and former Vice Minister of Technology Erlinda Handal Vega.
Prosecutors point to the embezzlement of public treasuries in the period 2009 to 2014, when the Legislative Assembly approved $80.8 million for five years, a figure that ended with $351 million being transferred from funds from the Minister of Finance without appropriate authorization legislation.
According to the complaints, the trials are part of political persecution and there is no verifiable and conclusive evidence to charge or convict anyone.
The presidential candidate of the National Liberation Front Farabundo Martí, Manuel “El Chino” Flores, said today that these are quick-track procedures for political reasons.
Absent or fleeing are former President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, Manuel Orlando Quinteros, former Minister of Public Works, Lina Dolores Pohl, former Minister of Environment, José Guillermo Belarmino López, former Minister of Agriculture, and José Manuel Melgar, former Minister of Justice and Public Security .
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