Anti- corruption prosecutor asks jail for former minsters in helicopter scam

Four former ministers of state are among 14 defendants facing trial for alleged embezzlement in the rental of helicopters through the National Aid Program (PAN).

Anti-corruption prosecutor Ariel De Gracia requested a conviction verdict for all 14 defendants, including four former ministers of State, for the alleged commission of the

During the fourth day of the hearing, on Thursday, October 5, prosecutor De Gracia began with the presentation of the allegations, after hearing testimonies from auditors from the Comptroller General who certified inconsistencies between the hours paid with PAN funds and the number of contracted flight hours.

The prosecution’s allegations were based on articles 338 and 340 of the Penal Code.

The first of them establishes that ” the public servant who steals or embezzles in any way, or consents that another appropriates, steals or embezzles in any way money, securities or property, the administration, collection or custody of which has been entrusted to him because of his position, he will be punished with imprisonment of four to ten years.                                                                     While 340 of that same code states that “ the public servant who negligently causes the loss or loss of money, securities or property, the administration, collection or custody of which has been entrusted to him by reason of his position, or gives the opportunity to “If another person steals, uses or appropriates them, for his own benefit or that of a third party, he will be punished with imprisonment of three to six years. “

The investigation began in 2014 following a series of audits carried out in the PAN that revealed the irregular collection of funds from that entity for the payment of flight hours from different public institutions.