Jesús de Tavarangüe: Mayor confirmed to have used public money without municipal control

A trial is underway against Víctor Garay, the mayor of Jesús de Tavarangüe, who faces charges of breach of trust for an alleged G. 2.44 billion (approximately $330,000 USD) loss to the municipality. The funds in question were special allocations intended for public works and cultural heritage preservation under laws 5255/14 and 6145/18 during the 2022 fiscal year.

During the oral proceedings, key testimonies came from councilors Pedro Ramírez and Antonio Rolón, along with former municipal accountant Hugo Paniagua. Paniagua stated he assisted in preparing reports related to observations from the General Comptroller's Office but claimed to have limited recall of specific payment details and supporting documents. This testimony comes amid accusations that Garay established a "parallel commission" to manage funds outside the oversight of the Municipal Council.

Councilor Ramírez, of the ANR party, confirmed that the Municipal Council never had access to the documentation justifying the use of these funds. He described the public works as "shoddy" and some as incomplete, noting that none of the projects were put out for public bidding, instead being executed through exceptions that bypassed national procurement regulations. "We never had access to the works, the documentation; they were not carried out properly, there is no completion of the cobblestone roads. The works were not put out to tender, but by exception," Ramírez stated.

Similarly, councilor Antonio Rolón, from the PLRA party, corroborated that the council lacked access to the financial documentation. He added that Mayor Garay created a "commission" that administered the money separately. Rolón also revealed that in 2022, companies were hired whose owners were reportedly "housewives and teachers" lacking the solvency or resources to undertake such projects. He pointed out that a hired architect later denied any connection to the municipality's work, further raising suspicions about the legitimacy of the contracts.