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Mexico City (AP) — Mexico’s anti-money laundering agency said Thursday that former president Enrique Peña Nieto had accused him of processing millions of dollars with illegal funds. Pursue corruption.
This represents the first formal legal accusation against Peña Nieto, despite a cloud of allegations about corruption during the 2012-2018 administration of Peña Nieto. Lopez Obrador made eradicating corruption the main theme of his presidency, but he had not yet opposed any of his predecessors.
The criminal charges filed against Peña Nieto by the government’s financial intelligence unit do not mean that the prosecutor has yet decided to file a formal accusation. However, the commander of the unit, Pablo Gomez, said federal prosecutors had received complaints alleging the illegal use of funds and were investigating them.
Gomez said Thursday that the company run by Pennaniet’s family is in a “symbiotic relationship” with a company that had a government contract of about $ 500 million during his presidency. He did not identify the company, but said they were a distribution company.
Gomez also said Peña Nieto received about $ 1.3 million in remittances from his relatives, apparently related to the two companies, after his retirement. According to Gomez, Peña Nieto and corporate accounts are not blocked.
Peña Nieto moved to Spain after his retirement.
On Thursday, Peña Nieto wrote in his Twitter account that his money was legally obtained.
“I am confident that the appropriate authorities will allow me to resolve my holding questions and prove their legality through legitimate channels,” the former president wrote. “I am confident in the legal system.”
Emilio Rossoya, a former head of Mexico’s state-owned oil company under Peña Nieto, has five senators to support the controversial energy of Peña Nieto and his right-hand man, Finance Secretary Luis Bidegarai. He claimed to have instructed him to bribe lawmakers, including 2013 and other structural reforms in 2014.
Bidegarai denied the accusation. In that case, neither man will be prosecuted.
It is embarrassing for Lopez Obrador that he did not defeat the top figures of the previous administration, just as Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manuel was unable to file a strong proceeding under Rozoya’s allegations. did.
The hands-off approach to Peña Nieto fuels speculation that Lopez Obrador reached a gentleman’s agreement with the former president in 2018. In exchange for quickly recognizing the victory of President Lopez Obrador and giving him extraordinary power during the transition period, Peña Nieto would have allegedly obtained a promise of immunity.
Lopez Obrador simply states that “vengeance is not my strength” and that Mexico should look to the future, not the past.
But last year, Lopez Obrador sponsored a referendum of Mexican voters on whether to prosecute former leaders accused of misconduct. Unable to reach the 40% participation required to make it binding, critics point out that the government does not need public blessings to prosecute those who commit crimes. did.
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