Paraguay Court Upholds Conviction Against Former Municipal Finance Director in "Gold Detergents" Case

Paraguay's justice system has finalized a conviction against Edwin López Cattebecke, the former General Director of Administration and Finance for the Municipality of Asunción during Óscar “Nenecho” Rodríguez's tenure. The case, known as "detergentes de oro" (gold detergents), saw an appeals court declare a defense appeal inadmissible, confirming his two-year suspended prison sentence.

López Cattebecke had actively participated in irregular tender processes for cleaning and hygiene supplies between 2020 and 2021. These over-invoiced and irregularly priced purchases resulted in a significant financial loss of G. 1.808 billion for the municipality, funds intended for public protection during the critical phase of the health crisis.

The Tribunal of Appeals found that López Cattebecke's defense lacked specific and substantiated arguments against the initial ruling. The court determined that the defense attempted to introduce improvised arguments without support, solely to prolong the process, leading to the rejection of their appeal.

As a consequence of the ruling, López Cattebecke must adhere to the conduct rules imposed by the court. To avoid incarceration, he formally committed to returning G. 50 million to the municipal treasury and making an additional donation of G. 10 million as compensation for the social damage caused to the capital city.