Santiago Hazim withdraws request to leave prison in Senasa case

Former National Health Insurance (Senasa) director Santiago Hazim and three co-defendants have abandoned their efforts to have their pre-trial detention modified. They have been held for almost eight months in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that impacted Senasa's finances by over 15 billion pesos.

The decision to forgo a review of their coercive measures was confirmed by legal representatives of other individuals linked to the case and by the court. Hazim, along with Germán Rafael Robles Quiñones and two others whose identities were withheld, withdrew their appeals.

Robles Quiñones and Hazim are detained at Las Parras prison. Also imprisoned are Gustavo Enrique Messina Cruz, Francisco Iván Minaya Pérez, Rafael Luis Martínez Hazim, and Ramón Alan Speakler Mateo. Authorities accuse this group of operating a network, allegedly led by Hazim, that defrauded Senasa through service provider contracts awarded without sufficient technical scrutiny and in exchange for bribes.