CDE Files Criminal Complaint Against Ex-Minister Ulloa and Associates: Allegations of Judicial Influence Network

Original article: CDE se querella contra exministro Ulloa, Hermosilla y otros: apunta a red de gestiones para influir en nombramientos y decisiones judiciales

The State Defense Council (CDE) has filed a criminal complaint against former Santiago Appeals Court Minister Antonio Ulloa, along with others implicated in the Audio Case, alleging a network of activities aimed at influencing judicial appointments and decisions.

This legal action, initiated by the council led by advisor Ana María Hübne, was submitted to the Seventh Guarantee Court. It accuses Ulloa of potential offenses including disclosure of secrets, aggravated bribery, and judicial malpractice.

The complaint also includes attorneys Luis Hermosilla, Mario Vargas, and Samuel Donoso, as well as the Property Registrar of Puente Alto, Sergio Yáber, all of whom are alleged to have participated as authors of the bribery offense, without ruling out other crimes that may arise during the Public Ministry’s investigation into the Audio Case.

According to a statement from the CDE, the evidence gathered during the inquiry indicates a network of personal relationships among defendants Hermosilla, Vargas, and Donoso, who, as trusted professionals, reportedly took steps to «facilitate Ulloa’s appointment as a minister of the Santiago Appeals Court, as well as the appointment of others to judicial positions.

The council’s complaint details various actions that constituted requests for benefits for the former minister, who, once appointed, ruled on several cases «favoring the interests represented by the aforementioned lawyers,» without recusing himself despite existing personal connections.

Additionally, he is accused of providing confidential information «obtained in the course of his duties, including details about agreements, votes, and disciplinary matters of higher courts before they became public.

Significant Transfers to Ulloa

In the case of Sergio Yáber, the complaint alleges that he would have periodically transferred approximately $74.3 million to Antonio Ulloa between February 2019 and April 2025, precisely when the former minister voted in his favor «in a process to fill the position of Conservador de Hipotecas y Gravámenes de Santiago.

According to the CDE, such actions, aside from constituting the indicated offenses, pose a special severity that «seriously affects the rule of law and fundamental principles such as equality before the law«.

CDE Complaint Complicates Former Minister Ulloa’s Legal Situation

This CDE complaint complicates Ulloa’s legal standing, following the Senate’s approval of a Constitutional Accusation against him last November, formalizing his removal as a minister of the Santiago Appeals Court.

This action was driven by notable derelictions of duty by Ulloa, particularly after his connection with Luis Hermosilla, a former lawyer for Sebastián Piñera and Andrés Chadwick, for whom the Eastern Prosecutor’s Office is seeking 17 years in prison for violations of the General Banking Law, fraud, malicious use of private commercial instruments, and various tax offenses related to the so-called Audio-Factop Case.

According to the information, the former magistrate sought the criminal lawyer’s assistance, both for being named to the appellate court and for other legal appointments.

A report by CIPER even revealed conversations between the two, demonstrating efforts to influence appointments of judges and judicial prosecutors, suggesting a parallel mechanism to the institutional one. In one message, Ulloa asks Hermosilla to advocate for candidates «loyal and from our sector».

Additionally, the former minister was accused of having provided Hermosilla with confidential information and failing to abstain from participating in a case involving the same criminal lawyer, despite their close relationship.