Posted on 06/02/2019 4:01:26 PM PDT by SilvieWaldorfMD
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Three officials with Puerto Rico’s Senate were arrested by FBI agents Thursday and later charged by the U.S. territory’s federal prosecutor with alleged corruption for a case involving a scheme to defraud the legislature using “ghost employees.”
Federal prosecutor Rosa Emilia Rodríguez said 18 charges were brought against Ángel Figueroa Cruz, director of the Senate Office of Government Affair; Isoel Sánchez Santiago, an assistant to the Senate president; and Chrystal Robles Báez, a contractor to the body.
“This kind of practice is not going to be tolerated where federal funds are involved,” Rodríguez told a news conference. The case comes as Puerto Rico suffers through an economic recession and continues to recover from devastating hurricanes.
Officials in Puerto Rico and with the FBI say other similar cases are being investigated and did not exclude more people being charged.
The purported scheme involved the accused billing the Senate for professional services that were never provided.
The scandal has shaken Puerto Rico’s politicians and officials.
“We are surprised and saddened by the news,” Senate president Thomas Rivera Schatz wrote on social media. One of the accused, Sánchez Santiago, was an assistant to Rivera Schatz.
After learning of the arrests, Gov. Ricardo Rossello said his administration “will not tolerate or be an accomplice to any act of corruption wherever it occurs.”
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Ay Bendito!
Can't we just give it back?
You have to realize that most Puerto Ricans in government learned their skills n NYC. This means it’s all about unions and corruption.
I know - Let’s grant them statehood!
My dad says they should arrest all of them.
Don't they know that embezzlement, fraud, and corruption by eleccted officials are an integral part of Latin-American culture ?
Will the Red Sox boycott PR now?
I was thinking “Why is the FBI arresting folks in a foreign country?” :)
Not all FReepers are equal!!
I laugh at s..t I don’t know sometimes :)
Every day is a day to learn.
Just let them have the place. No more commonwealth status. Your free to live or die on your own
If you like Honduras you’re going to love Puerto Rico.
I know.
They need a couple of Senators for representation. And, it will give them a sense of responsibility, which will mature them and damp down their corruption. Same for DC.
/S
You know, if we just sent more federal money to Puerto Rico, it would just get stolen.
Five centuries of corruption is a tough habit to break.
I’m all for saving the tatas.
Gov. Ricardo Rossello said his administration “will not tolerate or be an accomplice to any act of corruption wherever it occurs.”I hate to tell you this Governor but that kind of talk calls for an immediate investigation into your administration.
They need a Trumpeguez to drain their swamp.
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