Former Ecuadorian Minister Javier Córdova will go to a political trial for the alleged crime of illicit enrichment between 2012 and 2018, sanctioned in the country with a sentence of seven to 10 years in prison.
National judge calls for trial against Javier C., for the unjustified increase in his heritage between 2012-2018, when he served as Minister of State, the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported.
During that period, Córdova served as Minister of the Interior, Non-Renewable Natural Resources and Mining during the Government of Rafael Correa (2007-2017) and Lenín Moreno (2017-2021).
The FGE ratified the pretrial detention order and the freezing of its bank accounts for $1,281,402.27, considered the value of the illicit enrichment established through financial expertise, FGE said in its account of the social network X.
This increase occurred – constantly and continuously – through financial activities of various kinds, such as the payment of securities made by third parties in cash, cheques and transfers for alleged commercial, corporate and loan relationships that had no documented justification or support.
To this was added by the FGE the sale of motorcycles, the acquisition of vehicles with payments made by third parties, deposits or transfers made by private persons, as well as the cancellation of debts of their credit cards by third parties without having a commercial relationship, because they held the position of public official.
The magistrate denied the request of the defense of Córdova to ratify his state of innocence, and on the contrary insisted on the measure of pretrial detention that has been against him since January 10, 2024, he said on his page the local radio station Radio Govea.
This year, the former minister of the same portfolio Fernando Santos Alvite, who held office during the government of Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023), was prosecuted in the Ecuadorian Parliament, accused of failing to fulfill functions and the electroenergetic situation of the country.
Former Interior Minister Juan Zapata (2022-2023) was also censored in Parliament for non-compliance with the non-execution of the budget of his portfolio for last year.
The National Assembly (Nicameral Parliament) is currently on trial against the chancellor, Gabriela Sommerfeld, and the Minister of the Interior, Monica Palencia, would then undergo two similar trials.
Meanwhile, Andrea Arrobo, appointed to the post of Minister of Energy and Mines by President Daniel Noboa, in late 2023, was removed from office and faces a trial of political trial and a criminal trial for alleged corruption along with about twenty officials.
This article has been translated after first appearing in El Pais