Paraguayan Court Acquits Former Seprelad Head in Messer Case Amid Judicial Scrutiny

A Paraguayan court has acquitted former Secretary of Prevention of Money Laundreding (Seprelad) Óscar Boidanich. The ruling came in a case where Boidanich was accused of obstructing justice in the investigation of alleged money launderer Darío Messer.

The three-judge panel that delivered the verdict included Judge Darío Báez, who has presided over numerous cases where defendants accused of corruption were acquitted. Báez himself has faced scrutiny for his judicial decisions.

In this specific case, Báez, along with judges Gloria Hermosa and Natalia Cacavelos, argued for Boidanich's acquittal. This decision has drawn criticism due to Báez's track record. For instance, he was part of a panel that acquitted former Attorney General Javier Díaz Verón and his wife of illicit enrichment and money laundering charges in 2023. That ruling was later annulled by an appellate court as "absurd and arbitrary," leading to an order for a new trial, which is still pending.

Báez also voted to acquit Dany Durand, a former minister of Urbanism, Housing, and Habitat, of false declaration charges in 2023. Although a minority opinion favored conviction, the majority decision was also later overturned by an appeals court for lack of argumentation. The article notes that Báez previously served as a councilman for the Colorado Party.