Paraguay's Prosecutor's Office formally charged nine former employees of the Social Security Institute (IPS), including former presidents Vicente Bataglia and Jorge Brítez, for alleged breach of trust. The case involves a G. 53 billion contract with the company Neighpart S.A. for the acquisition and installation of modular operating rooms at the IPS Central Hospital, which were never installed, causing an estimated patrimonial loss of G. 61 billion to the institution.
According to the investigation led by prosecutor Julio Ortiz, the former managers authorized payments and contract extensions through irregular addendums, even knowing the project could not be executed due to lack of planning and prior evaluation of the building's infrastructure. The company received advances and payments without the equipment being installed, and many of the supplies ended up stored and expired in a warehouse.
In addition to the former presidents, former managers and directors of areas such as Logistics, Supply, Maintenance and the Operational Procurement Unit (UOC) were charged, including Hugo Aranda, Jaime Caballero, José Raúl Coronel, Verónica Blanco, Juan Villar, Marcelo Bordón and legal advisor Rosa Colmán. The latter was the first detained in the case, arrested in Asunción and already interrogated by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The current IPS president, Isaías Fretes, and his legal director, Pablo Morínigo, classified the charges as a "historic fact" and stated that the institution will fully collaborate with the investigation. They highlighted that Fretes' surprise visits to IPS units were crucial to exposing the irregularities. Morínigo stated that the institution will analyze the Board of Directors' minutes to evaluate the responsibility of council members who approved the addendums, which could lead to expanded charges.
Prosecutor Ortiz requested preventive detention for all those charged, alleging flight risk and obstruction of investigation, plus an asset freeze worth G. 61 billion. He also mentioned that, unofficially, he learned that Vicente Bataglia was out of the country in Italy, but that his defense attorney stated he would return to Paraguay. The whereabouts of Jorge Brítez remain unknown.
President Santiago Peña, questioned about Brítez's appointment, defended his decisions based on information available at the time, stating that each person must answer for their own actions and that it is not his place to issue moral judgments.
Meanwhile, IPS faces a serious financial crisis. Fretes declared that the institution has no resources for recategorizations, new contracts, salary increases or medical technology maintenance, and that the total debt reaches G. 1.261 trillion, with G. 887 billion owed to suppliers and financial institutions.