Criminal probes paralyzed by “illegal” vacations

The investigation for alleged irregularities in the handling of funds provided by Pandeportes to sports federations are paralyzed, after the investigators of the Directorate of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) were sent on vacation without notifying the authorities of the Public Ministry says the seventh Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.

In an interview on TVN, Leyda Sáenz warned that at least 99 lines of investigation are being held up and that this can affect the development of the process.

She said that Law 69 of December 2007 prevents IDJ agents who work with prosecutors from abandoning their investigations without having concluded them.

Sáenz warned that the paralysis of the investigation can affect the entire development of the process, covering sports associations and federations, whose authorities must be physically located to ask for explanations about the economic contributions that were made by Pandeportes.

She stressed that preliminary investigations show a possible lack of support of $9 million in Pandeporte. and as it is a process that is developed under the norms of the accusatory criminal system (SPA), a combined work with the DIJ is imposed for verification.

Other investigations open under the rules of the SPA, such as that of the communal boards and the forms 080 and 172 of the National Assembly, which are also paralyzed by the vacations of the agents.

He said that in addition to the investigators assigned to the Pandeportes case, the head of the Division of Crimes against the Public Administration  was also sent on vacation unexpectedly and without prior notice to the Public Ministry (MP), although he had assignments.