Bus operators rushed to banks to cash scam checks

At the end of the fifth day of the preliminary hearing of 541 people for alleged embezzlement through compensation to owners of red devil buses, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office requested (so far) to call 227 of the accused to trial.

In the hearing that in the Roberto Durán gym, the prosecutors have presented copies of the paid checks, of the liquidation, and of the reactivation of the trunk bus quotas that, after charging, continued to circulate in the corridors.

Prosecutors Anilú Batista and Kyra Tascón argued that the evidence provided shows a clear association between carriers, officials of the Transit Authority (ATTT), representatives of the loan companies, and individuals, to obtain irregular compensation, which caused “a serious damage to the State”.

Prosecutor Tascón presented the connection of owners of buses that were out of service and who were later re-registered on service bus routes in the corridors, to obtain more compensation in the order of $75,000.

The investigation revealed that the owners of liquidated buses cashed the checks and then went to local banks to cash them quickly and leave no trace of the money.

In addition, a direct relationship between carriers, ATTT officials, and borrowers was evidenced, to speed up the compensation process reports La Prensa.