The prosecution and the complaint that represents the Municipality of Cinco Saltos They considered that the accusation against the former secretary of public works, Martín Palacios, had been proven during the trial and that he should be declared guilty of defrauding the Municipal State. The accusers also requested the absolution of the former mayor German Epul for the benefit of the doubt.
Both officials were accused of having conducted a price competition for the acquisition of paving stones and of having paid in full, without the products having been delivered.
“Palacios knew the cost of the paving stones, which were produced in Comodoro Rivadavia, and the cost of transportation. He had the power of information and had control of the fact, he prepared a call for bids, invited his partner – by the owner of the company Nalozano – and that was how they awarded the purchase of paving stones,” explained the chief prosecutor. .
He added that these products were not delivered and that after a conflict with the owner of the Nalozano company, he kept the paving machine. He explained that the requirements and characteristics of the specifications that Palacios prepared did not contemplate a penalty for late delivery of the paving stones and that he also indicated to the businessman the offer that he had to make in the tender to win it.
German Epul
“Before winning the tender, Nalozano did not have sufficient experience in the market or financial solvency to guarantee compliance with the contract, so it is not a breach of contract, it is a scam,” he asserted. He added that the record of opening the envelopes was falsified by the accused and that to give the appearance of legality he added that the winner of the tender had delivered the IRAM standards certifications for the paving stones when that was not true.
Regarding Epul, he explained that he only began to take action with the award. He described that from the evidence presented in the debate, two doubts remained: the first is whether Epul was deceived by Palacios and the second is whether the deception was sufficiently elaborate to not be noticed. Both situations are related and the prosecutor insisted that there were falsified minutes to give the appearance of legality to the administrative procedure and that they were carried out by Palacios.
He added that the former communal chief had no elements to think that they were forged and that there were no observations or challenges that led him to carry out a more exhaustive control. “Epul made a harsh confession and said that he was negligent for trusting Palacios, but at trial it could not be proven that he participated in the planning or enriched himself from the maneuver,” he concluded.
The prosecution’s accusation
From a legal technical point of view, he clarified that the criminal offense requires knowledge of the maneuver and the will to commit the fraud and that these two aspects had only been proven in the case of Palacios. Regarding Epul, he considered that the standard of reasonable doubt could not be overcome.
The private complaint representing the Municipality of Cinco Saltos coincided with the analysis carried out by the prosecutor involved in the case and also requested the guilty plea of Palacios and the acquittal of Epul.
Epul’s technical defense supported the prosecution’s request for acquittal, while Palacios’ lawyer assessed the evidence produced at trial and considered that his client should be declared not guilty of the charges.
The Court involved in the trial announced that it will announce its verdict on Monday the 10th at 12:30.
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