The Court of Appeals in Asunción overturned the ruling that had declared criminal proceedings against Senator and former Interior Minister Rafael Filizzola time-barred in the case known as “Comisarías de Oro.” The measure, adopted Tuesday, June 23, by the court’s First Chamber, reactivates the embezzlement case — a legal term equivalent to breach of trust under Paraguayan law — and orders the file returned to the intermediate stage. The guarantees judge must now set a date for the preliminary hearing, a crucial step in determining whether there is sufficient basis to take the lawmaker to public oral trial.
The resolution was signed by appellate judges Paulino Escobar, Jesús Riera Manzoni and Adriana Giagni. They upheld the appeal filed by prosecutor Silvia Margarita González Vester of Specialized Unit No. 3 for Economic Crimes and Anticorruption, overturning the interlocutory ruling issued on May 6, 2026, by Judge Yoan Paul López. The trial-level judge had granted a final dismissal, arguing that the statute-of-limitations period had expired. The appellate judges, however, identified five years, five months and 12 days of procedural inactivity caused by a succession of motions, appeals and nullities that prevented the proceedings from moving forward normally.
The background cited by the court shows that the file was formally returned to the court of origin only on December 14, 2021. The actions that stalled the case included constitutional challenges and recusals. A 2022 ruling on the matter became final only after the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court declared an extraordinary appeal inadmissible in 2025. The court also rejected the argument that the delay was the exclusive responsibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Records show that the Fiscalía requested expedited action on several occasions, including petitions to the Constitutional Chamber between 2015 and 2021 and a request for a public hearing before the Court’s presidency in 2019.
The case dates back to 2010, when Filizzola was serving as Interior Minister. The investigation points to irregularities in contracts for the construction of cells and bathrooms at 24 police stations in the Asunción metropolitan area. According to the accusation, public funds were paid in full to the contracting company even though the work was not completed and the required final acceptance records were not issued. No prior technical studies justified carrying out the work, resulting in estimated property damage of approximately G. 1.2 billion to the Paraguayan state.
In addition to reactivating the case, the court urged the judge in charge to strictly apply Supreme Court of Justice Resolution No. 1814. The aim is to curb delaying tactics and abuse of procedural powers intended to unduly prolong judicial proceedings. The costs of the appeal-related incident were allocated according to the party responsible, in line with legal practice.