Today – Tuesday, July 30 – the Rancagua Guarantee Court kept Juan Ramón Godoy Muñoz, accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office as the author of the crimes of embezzlement of public funds, tax fraud, money laundering, tax crimes and repeated aggravated bribery, subject to the precautionary measure of preventive detention. These crimes were committed between 2021 and 2023 in the commune.
At the hearing to review the pretrial detention (case number 1.106-2023), Judge Gonzalo Celedón Bulnes rejected the defense’s request, considering that the circumstances that were taken into account when ordering Godoy Muñoz’s imprisonment have not changed, and that his freedom continues to constitute a danger to the safety of society and the success of the investigation.
“(…) his freedom does constitute a danger to the success of the investigation and, furthermore, his failure to appear at the proceedings due to the penalties associated with the crimes, since they would probably be enforced in the event of a conviction. It is estimated that he cannot be replaced, because there is a danger to the security of the investigation, but, furthermore, because the law classifies it as a danger to social security in light of the repetition, multiplicity of crimes, and the fact that he held an elected office, therefore, the measure is maintained, rejecting the requested replacement,” reasoned Judge Celedón Bulnes.
At the hearing, the court accepted the request of the defense of Diego Barba Oliva, accused of the completed crime of bribery, and decreed the precautionary measures of partial nighttime house arrest, national roots and the prohibition of communicating with the co-defendants in the case.
“With regard to the 8-hour nighttime house arrest requested by the defense, the Public Prosecutor’s Office agrees, the Internal Revenue Service agrees, the State Defense Council is with the private plaintiffs in favor of a total house arrest. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has indicated that the arrest should be partial for the purposes of the defendant’s reintegration into the labor market, so that he can collaborate in paying the fines associated with the sentences (…) it is estimated that for procedural purposes a partial house arrest, national roots, as already indicated, and the prohibition of communication are sufficient. The defense’s request in this regard is therefore accepted,” the magistrate ruled.
According to the prosecution, Godoy Muñoz allegedly favored the co-defendants in exchange for money through acts, direct dealings without justification, failure to collect fines, payments for works not carried out, generating irregular income to the detriment of the tax authorities.
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