Monthly Envelopes for Torrealba<\/span><\/h3>\nLarra\u00edn\u2019s confession, after working 16 years in the municipality, including the last three as interim Dideco director, detailed the modus operandi that began in 2018. In her statement to investigators, she explained how she became involved in the monthly cash deliveries to Torrealba.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce I took office, Mayor Ra\u00fal Torrealba summoned me to his office and informed me that I would receive an envelope each month containing approximately $5 million to give to him,\u201d Larra\u00edn stated during her testimony, as reported by El Mostrador.<\/p>\n
The scheme had a familial component. According to the investigation, her uncle, Domingo Prieto, a historic finance chief of the \u00abVita\u00bb corporations in the township, was the one who physically handed her the envelopes, making him a central figure in the system of diverting funds from these municipal entities.<\/p>\n
Larra\u00edn self-reported in August 2021, shortly after her removal from office. Her detailed confession regarding amounts and methodology has made her a key witness in the criminal aspect that seeks to establish the former mayor Torrealba\u2019s accountability, as he is accused of leading an organization that defrauded nearly $761 million from the municipality.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s worth noting that during the investigation, the Public Ministry revealed that the former mayor maintained a bank account with over 2.3 billion pesos and at a second property, bundles of cash were discovered hidden within the walls.<\/p>\n
Other Convictions and Torrealba\u2019s Situation<\/span><\/h3>\nThe case has already seen other convictions through abbreviated trials. Former municipal accountants Arnaldo Ca\u00f1as and Augusto C\u00e9sar Silva received three-year prison sentences alongside fines starting at $16 million. Additionally, former Community Development director Renato Sep\u00falveda, also implicated, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.<\/p>\n
However, for ex-mayor Ra\u00fal Torrealba, who faces charges of fraud against the treasury, criminal association, and money laundering, a plea deal remains off the table. The prosecution claims he is the leader of the organization that perpetrated the fraud, meaning his case will proceed to an oral trial. Larra\u00edn\u2019s conviction and agreement strengthen the narrative surrounding the illicit flow of money to the then-top municipal authority.<\/p>\n
The investigation into the municipal fund diversion scheme in Vitacura is advancing towards a decisive phase, awaiting upcoming judicial determinations regarding the primary defendant, Ra\u00fal Torrealba, as the intricate web of diversions affecting one of the country\u2019s wealthiest municipalities is revealed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n