Specialized Economic Crimes Judge Humberto Otazú dismissed a breach of trust complaint against former Ciudad del Este mayor and Yo Creo Party leader Miguel Prieto. The decision also benefits municipal employees Pedro Acuña Ferreira, Maggi Elizabeth Fariña Almada, and Lilian Matiauda, who were investigated in the same case.
The legal action originated from a complaint filed by former councilman Celso Miranda, known as Kelembú, who pointed to irregularities in a national bidding process conducted in February 2020 for acquiring asphalt plant equipment. According to the accusation, the bidding was conducted through an exception process and awarded to Servinco Paraguay S.A., even without full compliance with legal requirements.
The Public Prosecutor's Office, represented by prosecutors Silvio Corbeta, Verónica Valdez, and Yeimy Adle, requested the case be dismissed after determining that the Ciudad del Este Municipality made no disbursements to the awarded company. Official documents from the National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP) and the municipality itself confirmed that no payments were made, not even as advances.
Additionally, the Municipal Administration had revoked the award and canceled the entire bidding process through Resolution No. 3337, nullifying the effects of the questioned bidding. Judge Otazú emphasized in his decision that to constitute the crime of breach of trust, concrete patrimonial damage must be proven, which did not occur in this case.
Miguel Prieto faces more than 40 complaints related to his administration of the Ciudad del Este municipality, many of which, according to him, are part of a strategy to prevent his presidential candidacy in 2028. Earlier this month, the same judge ordered the opening of oral proceedings against Prieto and other defendants in the so-called "Tajy case," which involves the alleged overpriced purchase of baking supplies during the pandemic.