Bankenskandal in Paraguay: Nach Amtsenthebung: Anklage gegen Paraguays Ex-Präsidenten

Former Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has been charged in connection with the Ueno Bank scandal, accused of embezzlement and self-enrichment. The prosecutor's office also requested detention and investigation of Carlos Carvallo, the ex-central bank chief accused alongside Peña. Peña appeared at the prosecutor's office within 24 hours of a warrant being issued, exercising his right to refuse to answer the allegations, according to the news portal "abc".

Both Peña and Carvallo face charges of perverting the course of justice and falsifying public documents. Investigators also sought a general restriction on the assets of the two accused and their freezing to secure potential financial damages from the alleged crimes. The measures will be decided by a court. The prosecutor's office emphasized that this marks the beginning of investigations, with further evidence to be gathered.

No evidence of a criminal conspiracy has been presented so far. The case is part of the scandal surrounding the digital bank Ueno, which entered a severe crisis after its equity ratio fell below half of the prescribed minimum value after years of growth. Peña had business relationships with the Grupo Vázquez, which included the Ueno Bank, up until March 2025.

He had always denied any claims of conflicts of interest. Peña was removed from the presidency by a parliamentary impeachment process on Friday, and his former vice president, Pedro Alliana, was sworn in as the interim leader and is set to govern the country until August 2028.