Former Taisha mayor to stand trial for corruption charges

A judge has ordered a trial for the former mayor of Taisha, Cergio A. Ch., and four other individuals accused of irregularities in a road infrastructure project from 2018. The case stems from an investigation by the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, based on a report from the State Comptroller General's Office indicating criminal responsibility.

According to the prosecution, the alleged irregularities began with the construction of a dike on the Wambimi River. The Fiscalía claims that in February 2018, despite an access road already existing from prior contracts, then-mayor Cergio A. Ch. initiated a new bidding process for paving one kilometer of the same area.

The contract, valued at $78,631 plus VAT, was signed by former acting mayor Atsamp Mario T. and contractor Víctor Hugo T. The contract administration fell to Everly Leonardo S., then director of Public Works, while Nivaldo Leodán A. was responsible for supervision. The prosecution contends that the technical documentation and acceptance reports provided by these officials allowed former mayor Cergio A. Ch. to authorize payment in June 2018, even though the work had allegedly been completed earlier.

During the preparatory hearing, prosecutors presented evidence including civil engineering technical expertise, financial and accounting reports, and a site inspection. Also included were work logs, contracts, personnel actions, bank records, and testimonies from the Comptroller's audit team and former council members. The five defendants face trial for their alleged co-authorship in the crime of peculation, which carries a prison sentence of 10 to 13 years under Ecuador's Comprehensive Organic Penal Code.