The government of Guatemalaunder the command of the president, Bernardo Arévalo de Leóndenounced this Thursday the general secretary of the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office), Angel Pineda Avilafor embezzlement of public funds.
The complaint was made by the secretary general of the presidency, Juan Gerardo Guerrerobefore the Comptroller General of Accounts of the Central American country.
Guerrero explained that the complaint arose on the instructions of Arévalo de León, due to the alleged use of public funds illegally for the political persecution of Guatemalan citizens abroad, specifically in the United States.
“On November 16, 2021, the Secretary General of the Public Ministry, Ángel Pineda Ávila, addressed a letter to the president at that time, Alejandro Giammattei”Guerrero explained to journalists.
In the letter, Pineda Ávila requested Giammattei’s endorsement to be able to hire a law firm in the United States to persecute Guatemalans exiled abroad, Guerrero added.
According to the same source, Giammattei accepted the hiring of lawyers for an amount of 461,600 quetzales per month (around $57,000).
“For the above reasons, I am currently going to the Comptroller General of the Nation to request an audit from the Public Ministry in relation to the events described above that occurred in 2021 and 2022.”Guerrero said.
During the Giammattei Government, more than 50 people, including journalists, judges and prosecutors, had to go into exile due to persecution by the Public Ministry.
Pineda Ávila was identified along with the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, in 2023, as one of the main promoters to prevent the investiture of the new Guatemalan president, Bernardo Arévalo de León, which finally took place on January 14.
This is the second complaint by the Arévalo Government against the Prosecutor’s Office, since on February 29 the Executive presented a criminal complaint and a request for a pretrial against the Attorney General of Guatemala, Consuelo Porras Argueta, for the alleged crime of “breach of duties.” . EFE (I)
#Guatemala #files #complaint #Secretary #Prosecutors #Office
