The Supreme Court of Justice of Paraguay has admitted it does not possess a record of the education of María Verónica Lina Sienra Bertón, the Director-General of Constitutional Guarantees of the Judiciary, yet she receives a salary exceeding 22 million guaranis monthly. Sienra Bertón is the wife of Court Minister Luis María Benítez Riera.
The information was revealed in response to a public information request made through the Judiciary's Transparency Directorate. The Court explained that, as the employee's education was not registered in the Personnel File System, the "Profession" field in a file automatically generated for the SICCA system was left empty. For the file to be processed successfully, the field was filled in and, "due to an involuntary material error," was listed as "University." The Court reiterated that information about her education is not in the official records.
The inquiry was prompted by a discrepancy: in the declaration submitted to the Comptroller General of the Republic, Sienra Bertón stated she had a secondary-level academic degree, while the Judiciary listed her profession as "University."
The case has provoked strong reactions from professional associations and legal experts. Constitutional lawyer Hugo Estigarribia described the situation as "scandalous" and stated that the immediate dismissal of the employee and the political trial of the ministers who approved this irregularity are imperative. He argued that the constitutional requirement of suitability for the exercise of the office, established in Article 47 of the National Constitution, was not met for a position considered key.
The president of the Alto Paraná Bar Association, Nidia Silvero de Prieto, compared the case to that of former minister Hernán Rivas, involved in previous controversies, and called it "shameful," publicly questioning Sienra Bertón's continued tenure.
Other professionals also criticized the appointment. Lawyer Juan Sosa Bareiro stated that the appointment and continued employment of a minister's wife in a high-ranking position represents, "at the very least, an ethical lapse." He questioned the need for such an appointment when there are career civil servants with many years of service and adequate training, including abroad, who could fill the post.
To date, despite public criticism and calls for action, the director-general remains in her position and the Court ministers have not spoken out to take corrective measures, which has amplified criticism regarding human resources management and ethical standards within the Judiciary.