Original article: “No le tenemos miedo a esta mafia”: Manouchehri y Cicardini exigen a Fiscalía indagar pago de $1,7 millones a diputado republicano Cristián Araya

Socialist Legislators Demand Investigation into $1.7 Million Payment to Republican Deputy Cristian Araya Linked to Corruption Scheme

Socialist deputies, Daniel Manouchehri and Daniella Cicardini, have called on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the $1.7 million payment allegedly received by Republican lawmaker Cristián Araya as part of a political operation aimed at damaging their public image.

A report published on Wednesday by CIPER Chile revealed a telephone tap from OS-7 in which Sergio Yáber, the property conservator of Puente Alto and a key figure in the «Belarus Doll» case, claimed to have delivered that sum to Araya.

The investigation indicates that the money is associated with actions intended to harm Manouchehri and Cicardini, and is part of the same network of influences connected to former Appeals Court Minister Antonio Ulloa, who was recently constitutionally accused due to his relationship with lawyer Luis Hermosilla, who faces allegations of tax crimes, bribery, and money laundering related to the «Audio Case». Hermosilla maintained a network of influence with significant political, judicial, and business figures in Chile, which included pressures, traffic of influences, and possible payments for judicial referrals.

In this context, Manouchehri and Cicardini, authors of the accusation against Ulloa and plaintiffs in the case against Hermosilla, stated that the information from the report confirms the existence of a «political operation» aimed at discrediting them amid a broader anti-corruption offensive.

The investigation was based on at least three intercepted calls from conservator Sergio Yáber, which were tapped by OS-7 at the beginning of October.

In one of the intercepted conversations, Yáber—being investigated in the Belarusian angle of the Hermosilla case for alleged money laundering—mentioned that he had given $1.7 million to Republican deputy Cristian Araya.

In another call with his wife regarding a meeting at their home with the deputy, he stated that he wanted to seek support to help save former judge Antonio Ulloa from constitutional accusations.

“He’s going to go, we’re in campaign mode, but I had committed to this a while ago (…). But it’s not just for that, I invited him because I need to tie him to our friend [Ulloa], so that the bench will get on board,” he said to his wife.

As reported by the outlet cited, the money transfer reportedly occurred after a lunch between Yáber and Ulloa at Lumière Bistró restaurant.

The third intercepted call revealed that Araya had sent information via WhatsApp to Yáber about socialist deputy Daniel Manouchehri, one of the advocates for the accusation against Ulloa, indicating that he would pass the information to the then magistrate to generate a «media hit».

The conversations also brought up the name of fellow socialist deputy Daniella Cicardini and allegations for harming her.

The report highlighted that deputy Cristian Araya is the brother of Carolina Araya, chief of staff for José Antonio Kast and one of his closest advisors since the republican candidate began his presidential campaign.

«We are not afraid of anybody from this mafia»

Following the release of the intercepted call content, deputies Manouchehri and Cicardini asserted that the Public Prosecutor’s Office must investigate the funds given by Yáber to Araya.

“Like a sewer rat, Deputy Cristian Araya would have supplied information to a corruption network to defame me and Deputy Cicardini. The phone tap reveals that Yáber stated they transferred $1.7 million to Araya. Araya’s sister is the right-hand woman of José Antonio Kast. Did presidential candidate Kast know about this?” said Manouchehri.

“If a member of this scheme claims to have handed $1,700,000 to a deputy, the Public Prosecutor’s Office needs to investigate it now. Was it a payment for the information that Mr. Araya was relaying? Was it an illegal campaign contribution? Did Kast know, whose closest circle is mentioned?” he questioned.

He also noted, “I hope this falls within the legal campaign donations, because otherwise we are looking at a crime.”

Regarding the leaking of “information” that Yáber and Araya used to discredit them in the press, the socialist deputy asserted that “these are behaviors of a true sewer rat, we are not afraid of anyone from this mafia,” according to Bio Bío Chile.

The socialist legislator made it clear that such political operations do not intimidate him or Cicardini in their fight against corruption, announcing they will file a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office to clarify the facts.

“I want to say that we will continue to confront them; they’re not going to intimidate us or make us back down (…) The Ethics Committee of the Chamber of Deputies must act, as must the Prosecutor’s Office,” Manouchehri stated.

Moreover, he characterized the contents of the intercepted conversations as “extremely serious.”

“We are not just dealing with a simple piece of information; we are facing indications of a network that operates like a mafia within institutions. We are not afraid of anybody from this mafia, and I want to tell you from here that we will continue to confront them. We are not afraid; they will not intimidate us or make us back down because Chile needs justice for honest people,” he stressed.

«They tried to destroy us because we were too uncomfortable»

For her part, deputy Cicardini asserted that the revelations confirm that the attacks against them were not coincidental.

“They tried to destroy us because we were too uncomfortable. What CIPER published shows that these operations were not only politically motivated, but they could have even involved financial moves to damage our image. This must be thoroughly investigated. We will take the case to the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ethics Committee. If confirmed, we are facing a disgraceful incident that harms the credibility of Congress and the trust of the country,” she asserted.

She also indicated that Cristian Araya “must be investigated for this 1.7 million that was paid to him, to reveal what information and data he possessed aimed solely at generating image damage to deputy Manouchehri and myself.”

“I find these situations extremely regrettable, and I hope they are investigated (…) If this is the case, Deputy Araya is a miserable politician who doesn’t deserve respect from anyone because he is part of political operations that only harm our country,” she suggested.

Both legislators highlighted that the CIPER report underscores the seriousness of the system of judicial favors exposed in the Hermosilla Case, which includes interceptions, influence peddling, pressures, cross favors, and ties with the former judge Ulloa and the Belarus Doll case.

“We were the ones who denounced this network, accused Ulloa, and took various angles of the Hermosilla case to the Prosecutor’s Office. We know how these tentacles operate. We said it and we reaffirm it; these networks operate to protect the powerful, to install lies, and to pursue those who confront them. We will not back down,” they emphasized.