Supreme Court Launches Administrative Inquiry Against Minister Diego Simpértigue Following Controversial Cruise with CBM Lawyer

Original article: Viaje en crucero y trama « Bielorrusa»: La carpeta de investigación que abrió la Suprema contra ministro Diego Simpértigue

Supreme Court Launches Administrative Inquiry Against Minister Simpértigue Following Controversial Cruise with CBM Lawyer

The Plenary of the Supreme Court held an extraordinary meeting on Friday, November 14, to address matters concerning Minister Diego Simpértigue Limare, who has been implicated in several recent news reports. The court’s spokesperson, María Soledad Melo Labra, provided details about the agreements made during this meeting.

During the session, following a presentation by Court President Ricardo Blanco Herrera regarding the public background and a discussion with the involved minister, the Plenary reached a significant decision. “The Plenary deemed it necessary to review these details and, for greater clarity, instructed the initiation of an administrative inquiry, which will be overseen by the court’s judicial prosecutor (Jorge Pizarro Astudillo),” announced Minister Melo.

Press Conference by the Spokesperson

Facts Involving Minister Simpértigue

The events prompting this investigation date back to June 2024 when Minister Simpértigue embarked on a luxurious cruise around Europe with his wife and lawyer Eduardo Lagos, who represents the Chilean-Belarusian consortium Belaz Movitec (CBM). The journey, covered in a report by Nicolás Sepúlveda on Reportea.cl, spanned nine cities over ten days and began on June 16, just two days after the conclusion of the judicial contention between CBM and Codelco and the final payment from the state-owned company to the consortium.

The report emphasizes that Simpértigue voted twice in favor of the Chilean-Belarusian consortium Belaz Movitec (CBM), during the litigation involving Codelco, with rulings that forced the state copper company to pay over $17 billion. Meanwhile, attorney Eduardo Lagos, who accompanied the minister on the trip, is currently facing accusations from the Public Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly bribing another Supreme Court minister, Ángela Vivanco, for favorable rulings in the same case.

In light of the revelations by Reportea.cl, Minister Simpértigue confirmed the trip but defended his actions. In a meeting with reporters, he stated that “he personally covered the expenses for the cruise tickets for himself and his wife,” although he did not provide documentation to support this claim. Subsequently, he declined to answer written questions, asserting that “he would only respond and provide documents to the Ethics Commission of the Supreme Court or to the prosecutor if deemed necessary.”

Regarding the procedural steps the minister is facing, Minister Melo Labra explained that the inquiry aims to ascertain responsibilities. “The administrative inquiry conducts an investigation, overseen by a judicial prosecutor who will analyze all the facts, take statements from the minister, and gather any necessary information,” she noted. She clarified that possible disciplinary actions, should charges arise, “range from private admonition to suspension,” dismissing the likelihood of this process resulting in dismissal, which would require a removal file.

The inquiry led by judicial prosecutor Jorge Pizarro must now assess all relevant facts, including the details of the trip and the relationship between Minister Simpértigue and attorney Lagos, in a case that has shaken the Chilean judiciary.