Ex-YPFB legal chief to serve house arrest in 'dirty gasoline' case

Former Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) legal director Daniela Durán will serve house arrest as the investigation into the 'dirty gasoline' case proceeds. A judge ruled Tuesday that Durán will face charges of dereliction of duty and economic misconduct from home, rejecting the prosecution's request for six months in prison.

The case involves the sale of fuel that allegedly caused damage to vehicles across various Bolivian departments. The judge ordered Durán's house arrest, to be verified by court staff, and imposed additional precautionary measures. These include a travel ban, bi-weekly reporting to the Santa Cruz prosecutor's office, and a prohibition on contacting witnesses or visiting her former YPFB legal department.

Durán's defense attorney, Marco Cossío, denied any wrongdoing by his client, stating she would cooperate with the investigation. Cossío also criticized Durán's arrest as irregular, claiming she was summoned as a witness but was instead charged and detained. Durán was apprehended after voluntarily appearing for questioning in Santa Cruz and was subsequently transferred to La Paz for the hearing.