Ex VP retracts statements for second time

Felipe “Pipo” Virzi appeared before prosecutors on Thursday October 1 to retract statements he made implicating former bank branch manager Alberto Ortega in a money laundering scheme.

It is the second time the former vice-president, under house arrest  has changed his evidence implicating others

Ortega managed a branch of Banco Universal, the bank controlled by Virzi.

In July, Virzi had made statements implicating Ortega in a scheme to launder money from accounts belonging to former Supreme Court Justice Alejandro Moncada Luna.

Thursday, accompanied by his lawyer Guillermina McDonald, Virzi appeared voluntarily before prosecutors to retract what he said.

In the first investigation, Virzi said that Ortega had been given a Rolex watch and a truck by Ricardo Calvo, an associate of the former judge, for his assistance in laundering the money. But he has now said that his statements “were possibly misinterpreted, or not spoken correctly.”

It is not the first time that Virzi has retracted testimony in this case, He also initially claimed he loaned Moncada Luna money to purchase real estate, but that turned out to be a false statement.

Ortega and Virzi are both among those charged in the case, as well as Calvo and several others. Virzi is also facing  charges in other corruption investigations.