The Santa Fe Judge confirmed the punishment imposed Omar Antonio Odriozola And Rafael Ramon Grauwho served as Top Santa Fe Provincial Police officials in 2015 and 2016.
The decision was made by the Appeals ChamberThe decided to uphold the prison sentences of 6 years and 6 months each for the two former police chiefswhich will remain banned from holding public office for 10 years and they have to pay a economically good.
The verdict was confirmed by the judges Fernando Gentile Bersano, Roberto Prieu Mantaras And Bruno Netri in a hearing in the city’s courts Santa Fe.
According to the indictment maintained by the public prosecutor, Odriozola and Grau carried out one illegal association dedicated to defrauding public administrationthrough a sophisticated mechanism that included billing for non-existent repairs to police cell phones and the simulated purchase of replacement parts.
According to the portal Rosario3The origin of the investigation goes back to 2016, when Maximiliano Pullarothen security minister and current provincial governor, discovered Irregularities in the area of police logistics (D4).
The early evidence suggested so systematic billing of repairs and spare parts which were not verified in police cell phones. According to court reports, former police chiefs They signed checks, approved invoices and approved accounts. This confirmed the irregular outflow of funds from the state treasury.
The maneuver It didn’t just affect police financesbut also included the involvement of other officials, accountants and civilians associated with mechanical repair shops and auto parts stores.
This is already the case in this matter Nine people were convicted in short trialsSome of them were sentenced to prison for their involvement in this illegal organization.
Odriozola and Grau were the only ones involved in the oral debate in which the Provincial Prosecutor’s Officeresponsible for Ezequiel Hernandez And Barbara Ilerademanded the maximum penalties applicable to them. However, his defense had imposed means to mitigate the sentence.
During the negotiations, the court saw it as proven that those now convicted They would be the heads of the organization that defrauded the public purse in 2015 and 2016 through trout billing and non-existent services.
In justifying their decision, the judges emphasized that the institutional gravity of the case lay in the fact that the defendants were the highest authority of the state police at the time of the events.
The verdict confirmed this Odriozola committed the crimes between January and August 2015 and Grau between September 2015 and February 2016..
During the case, the preparation of False invoices and authorization of fictitious expenseswith signatures and notes of the defendants themselves, which facilitated the diversion of funds and the unlawful enrichment of those involved.
The case was highlighted by the prosecutor’s office Hernandez And Ilera as “a precedent of great importance for corruption cases, since both Odriozola and Grau were the highest police authority in the entire province at the time of the crimes.“.
Both believed that ratification sent a clear message of zero tolerance towards these government fraud schemes.
The prosecutors also assumed that they would evaluate the steps to be followed in relation to the procedure economical repair of the damage caused.
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