Former Paraguayan president could face up to 15 years in prison over bank collapse

Former Paraguayan President Santiago Peña could face up to 15 years in prison for crimes he is accused of in the case of the collapse of Ueno Bank. It's from sb.by.

Prosecutor Veronica Valdez said:

The maximum penalty that can be imposed in accordance with the current qualification of articles is up to 15 years in prison for a set of crimes, since it is more than one criminal act.

His words, voiced at the press conference, was quoted by the ABC Color newspaper.

The prosecutor added that during the trial, the articles on which the ex-president is accused may change.

On November 6, Paraguayan senators unanimously approved the impeachment of Peñer amid the scandal with Ueno Bank. After his dismissal, he was detained. Prosecutors charged him with abuse of trust and use of office for personal purposes. The investigation is related to possible violations in the placement of state and pension funds in Ueno, as well as in the exercise of control over the banking organization.

On November 3, the Central Bank of Paraguay imposed external control over the Ueno, as a result of which all accounts in it were frozen. The bank reported that the number of its customers reached almost 3 million. Paraguay's population is about 7 million people. In Paraguay, 93% of bank depositors whose collapse triggered the crisis received payments of $339.6 million