Top 10 Costa Rica

Ten Mayors Facing Serious Charges Of Corruption Allegations

The last few years has not been a good time for municipal mayors, the corrupt ones at least, as the Ministerio Público has been active in investigating complaints of corruption in municipal offices since 2007. A total of ten municipal mayors are currently facing judicial problems, all related to acts of corruption while in office.

The most common practice of corruption is “peculado”(embezzlemen), where local leaders put their hands in the municipal coffers, followed by “cohecho” (bribery) as some form of payment is taken for favours and the act of making contracts contrary to the good of the municipality, among many other acts of irregularities.

Of the ten mayors, two have already gone to trial and convicted, as the case of the mayors of Aserrí and San Carlos; the mayor of Talamanca is still in detention; and the mayors of Santa Cruz and Liberia in Guanacaste were arrested and released on bail, as the case of the mayor of Limón.

Meanwhile, the mayors of Siquirres, Guatuso, Alajueala and Carillo, under investigation.

In those cases, the Fiscalía has raided the municipal offices in search of evidence to complete their cases and bring the corrupt officials to trial.

Of course all the mayors of the focus attention of the ministerio Público all claim their innocence of any wrong doing.

In Alajuela, for example, mayor Joyce Zürcher she is being investigated for abuse of authority and influence peddling with respect to a cement company. Zürcher claims persecution.

In San Carlos, Alfredo Córdoba was convicted this week for defamation. He is appealing. In Aserrí, Mario Morales was sentenced to five years prison for embezzlement, bribery and false statements. Morales assures he will be appealing the sentence.

Carlos Marín in Liberia was reinstated after being suspended last month. Marín is being investigated for not fulfilling his obligations and disobedience to authority. Marín says he is being persecuted by judicial officials who are being spurred by local interest groups.

In Carrillo, Guancaste, judicial officials raided the municipal offices and charge Carlos Cantillo with destroying prime forests and mangroves. Carrillo is being accused of dereliction of duties.