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House arrest with the right to work granted to former BCB president, Edwin Rojas
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Crime & Justice

House arrest with the right to work granted to former BCB president, Edwin Rojas

From El Deber · (53m ago) Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Former Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB) president Edwin Rojas and other ex-officials have been granted house arrest with the right to work.
  • Rojas is accused of dereliction of duty and anti-economic conduct, allegedly causing millions in economic damage to the state.
  • The case, related to irregularities in the purchase and sale of sovereign bonds, involves an alleged economic damage figure between $124 million and $142 million.

In a significant development for Bolivia's financial sector, former Central Bank of Bolivia (BCB) president Edwin Rojas, along with several other former officials, has been granted conditional release. The judicial decision allows them house arrest but crucially includes the right to continue working, a move that has raised eyebrows given the gravity of the accusations.

Rojas is charged with the crimes of dereliction of duty and anti-economic conduct.

— Court DocumentStating the specific charges filed against the former BCB president.

Rojas and his colleagues are implicated in serious charges, including dereliction of duty and anti-economic conduct. The core of the allegations revolves around a supposed multi-million dollar economic damage inflicted upon the state. This alleged financial harm is reportedly linked to irregularities discovered during the audit of sovereign bond transactions conducted under their tenure.

The substitute measures also favor other former officials involved in the case.

Indicating that the judicial decision extends to other individuals implicated in the same investigation.

The figures involved are substantial, with the Public Prosecutor's Office estimating the economic damage at $124 million, while the Executive Branch suggests it could be as high as $142 million. These staggering amounts underscore the potential impact of the alleged misconduct on Bolivia's economy. The investigation is focusing on a 2024 operational regulation that allegedly facilitated bond transactions under irregular conditions or at inflated prices, thereby causing the reported financial losses.

The measure ordered by the judge also favors other precautionary former officials within the same case.

Further clarifying that the house arrest with work rights applies to other officials under precautionary measures.

The case, dubbed the "Bonos" case, stems from a complaint filed by the current BCB administration following an extensive audit. The investigation is delving into the actions of the Open Market Operations Committee (COMA), which was presided over by Rojas and included the other implicated directors. The judicial measure of house arrest with the right to work, while allowing for continued monitoring, signifies a complex legal process where the presumption of innocence and the need for continued economic participation are being balanced against serious allegations of financial malfeasance.

The case Bonos was reported by the current administration of the BCB after an audit process where a millionaire economic damage was detected.

Explaining the origin of the 'Bonos' case and the discovery of alleged financial irregularities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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