Prosecutor's office investigates Economy Minister Espinoza over Audi vehicle case

Bolivia's Public Prosecutor's Office has initiated an investigation into the Minister of Economy and Public Finance, José Gabriel Espinoza Yáñez. The probe stems from a complaint filed by Vice President Edmand Lara, alleging irregularities in the documentation and patrimonial declaration of an Audi Q4 e-tron vehicle.

The investigation, officially registered on August 17, targets potential offenses including falsity in documents, use of forged instruments, and falsehood in sworn asset declarations. These charges are based on articles within the Penal Code and Law 004. The complaint follows questions raised about the vehicle's acquisition process and the information Espinoza provided in his sworn statement.

Specifically, the purchase of the vehicle was documented with a public deed stating a value of Bs 50,000. However, Espinoza later acknowledged that the actual price paid was Bs 350,000. He attributed this significant difference to an error made by the administrative agent handling the transaction.

Further scrutiny surrounds Espinoza's asset declaration submitted on June 29. According to Lara's complaint, Espinoza declared assets totaling Bs 9,367, and the recently acquired vehicle was not listed. The complaint requests that the Prosecutor's Office obtain Espinoza's patrimonial declarations from 2025 and 2026, and that the Financial Investigations Unit conduct a financial analysis to determine the source of funds used for the car purchase. Information has also been requested from the Public Notary and the La Paz Municipal Government regarding the transaction's tax implications.

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The difference recorded in the document was an error.