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#LaMafiaManda: Orlando Arévalo faces new setback in alleged bribery case
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

#LaMafiaManda: Orlando Arévalo faces new setback in alleged bribery case

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A Paraguayan appeals court rejected a final appeal by former congressman Orlando Arévalo Zielanko, who faces charges of aggravated passive bribery.
  • The court's decision allows a lower court to proceed with attempting to schedule a hearing for the imposition of precautionary measures against Arévalo.
  • Arévalo is accused of soliciting the endorsement of three checks totaling 202 million Paraguayan guaranis from another congressman in exchange for intervening in a judicial process.

A Paraguayan appeals court has dealt a blow to former congressman Orlando Arévalo Zielanko by rejecting his final appeal. The ruling clears the way for a lower court to try again to schedule a hearing to determine precautionary measures against him in a bribery case. This marks another setback for Arévalo, who is accused of aggravated passive bribery.

The appeals court rejected the last appeal filed by the defense of former congressman Orlando Arévalo Zielanko, for alleged aggravated passive bribery (coima) within the #LaMafiaManda case.

— Article TextSummary of the court's decision.

The case, dubbed #LaMafiaManda, centers on allegations that Arévalo, while heading the Jurado de Enjuiciamiento de Magistrados (Magistrates' Impeachment Jury), solicited the endorsement of three checks worth 202 million Paraguayan guaranis. He allegedly made this request via WhatsApp to another congressman, Eulalio “Lalo” Gomes, in September 2023. The checks were reportedly intended as collateral for a loan, in exchange for Arévalo's assistance with a person facing impeachment proceedings by the jury.

The appeal filed by the defense of former congressman Orlando Arévalo Zielanko, against the rejection of the motion that suspended his hearing for the imposition of measures for the third time, in the case of alleged aggravated passive bribery (coima) in the #LaMafiaManda case; was not accepted by the Specialized Appellate Court in Economic Crimes of the First Instance.

— Article TextDetails of the defense's unsuccessful appeal.

The defense had argued that a pending appeal against a previous ruling (Auto Interlocutorio N° 54) prevented the imposition of measures. However, the appellate court, in its Interlocutory Ruling N° 136, noted that the general appeal against that ruling had already been resolved and confirmed by a prior decision (Auto Interlocutorio N° 99). With this latest rejection, the judge of Guarantees, Humberto Otazú, can now attempt for the fourth time to schedule the hearing for precautionary measures against the former legislator.

The appellate court highlights that, according to the system, the general appeal filed against A.I. No. 54 of March 24, 2026, has already been resolved as evidenced by A.I. No. 99 of April 21, 2026, which confirmed the challenged resolution.

— Article TextExplanation of why the defense's argument was rejected.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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