Ten Mayors Facing
Serious Charges Of Corruption Allegations
The last few years has not been a good time
for municipal mayors, the corrupt ones at
least, as the Ministerio Público has been
active in investigating complaints of
corruption in municipal offices since 2007.
A total of ten municipal mayors are
currently facing judicial problems, all
related to acts of corruption while in
office.
The most common practice of corruption is "peculado"(embezzlemen),
where local leaders put their hands in the
municipal coffers, followed by "cohecho"
(bribery) as some form of payment is taken
for favours and the act of making contracts
contrary to the good of the municipality,
among many other acts of irregularities.
Of the ten mayors, two have already gone to
trial and convicted, as the case of the
mayors of Aserrí and San Carlos; the mayor
of Talamanca is still in detention; and the
mayors of Santa Cruz and Liberia in
Guanacaste were arrested and released on
bail, as the case of the mayor of Limón.
Meanwhile, the mayors of Siquirres, Guatuso,
Alajueala and Carillo, under investigation.
In those cases, the Fiscalía has raided the
municipal offices in search of evidence to
complete their cases and bring the corrupt
officials to trial.
Of course all the mayors of the focus
attention of the ministerio Público all
claim their innocence of any wrong doing.
In Alajuela, for example, mayor Joyce
Zürcher she is being investigated for abuse
of authority and influence peddling with
respect to a cement company. Zürcher claims
persecution.
In San Carlos, Alfredo Córdoba was convicted
this week for defamation. He is appealing.
In Aserrí, Mario Morales was sentenced to
five years prison for embezzlement, bribery
and false statements. Morales assures he
will be appealing the sentence.
Carlos Marín in Liberia was reinstated after
being suspended last month. Marín is being
investigated for not fulfilling his
obligations and disobedience to authority.
Marín says he is being persecuted by
judicial officials who are being spurred by
local interest groups.
In Carrillo, Guancaste, judicial officials
raided the municipal offices and charge
Carlos Cantillo with destroying prime
forests and mangroves. Carrillo is being
accused of dereliction of duties.
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