The Corruption ‘Sheet’: Prosecutors Identify Lagos’ Assistant as Key Figure in Payment Investigations Involving Migueles and Vivanco

Original article: La “planilla” de las coimas: Fiscalía sitúa a secretaria de Lagos como pieza clave en pagos investigados a Migueles y Vivanco

Officers from the OS7 division of Carabineros conducted a search of María Pía Peñaloza’s home, who served as assistant to lawyer Eduardo Lagos, in order to seize documents and electronic devices that could aid in clarifying the events related to the ‘Belarusian plot.’

As part of the so-called ‘Belarusian plot,’ the investigation led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office has focused on a new figure: María Pía Peñaloza, who worked as an assistant to lawyer Eduardo Lagos.

Despite the judicial circumstances affecting the lawyer’s testimony—deemed illegal by Judge Michel Ibacache—the content of his statements to prosecutor Marcos Muñoz on January 6 and 7 has become a guiding document for investigators.

According to sources close to the case consulted by La Tercera, although the lawyer’s testimony—who is currently in preventive detention at Anexo Capitán Yáber as part of the investigation into alleged bribery and money laundering—has lost its validity as evidence, it continues to be a vital ‘resource’ for directing new inquiries and requesting judicial authorizations.

It was precisely this testimony that allowed the prosecuting authority to focus on Peñaloza. Based on gathered information, the professional not only managed the administrative aspects of Lagos’s law firm but also reportedly played an active role in the money laundering operations being investigated within the ‘Belarusian plot.’

It is essential to recall that this case dates back to 2023 when the Supreme Court, then composed of former minister Ángela Vivanco, ruled in favor of the Chilean-Belarusian company Belaz Movitec SpA and ordered Codelco to pay over $17 billion to the firm with which the state miner prematurely ended contracts.

According to La Tercera, on Monday, OS7 officers, armed with a search warrant, entered Peñaloza’s home to seize documents and electronic devices deemed relevant for clarifying the facts.

Simultaneously, sources confirmed to this media that former Lagos assistant has been summoned to testify on Tuesday, a move aimed at gathering as much evidence as possible before the scheduled indictment hearing on March 17.

During that session, the Public Prosecutor’s Office plans to charge new bribery offenses against lawyers Eduardo Lagos and Mario Vargas, as well as former Supreme Court minister Ángela Vivanco and her partner Gonzalo Migueles.

Prosecutor Andreas Kusch had previously indicated on February 12 that charges will be communicated for incidents occurring on February 7 and 27, 2024, specifically involving alleged payments amounting to 20 million pesos.

According to the prosecution’s thesis, these payments allegedly took place during critical moments: the first, following the acceptance of a complaint by the Belaz Movitec Consortium by the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court—then including Vivanco—and the second, after a nullity request from Codelco was denied. Furthermore, the payments were reportedly executed with Peñaloza’s direct involvement.

The Key Role of the Assistant in Payments to Migueles and Vivanco

Lagos’ account to prosecutors was crucial in outlining Peñaloza’s alleged involvement in the bribery network. In his statement, the lawyer referred to her multiple times as his ‘trusted assistant,’ responsible not only for administrative tasks but also for executing sensitive monetary transactions for the investigation. One of the transactions mentioned involves a payment of 80 million pesos received by the law firm from the Belaz Movitec Consortium.

At that point, Lagos was explicit in detailing the procedure: ‘Regarding this first payment, it was made from one of the office accounts by instructions from me through secretary María Pía Peñaloza, who transferred the corresponding amount for Mario’s fees and also for Gonzalo Migueles.’

However, Peñaloza’s involvement did not stop at executing payments. According to Lagos, she was also responsible for meticulously keeping track of the money flows, particularly those involving Mario Vargas and Gonzalo Migueles. The accused explained to prosecutors that there was a dynamic in which payments to Migueles came from the amounts Vargas received, with Peñaloza managing that parallel accounting.

‘In the amounts paid to Mario Vargas, there was a plus or extra with what he was to deliver and pay to Gonzalo Migueles, all of which fell under Mario Vargas’s responsibility,’ Lagos explained.

Corruption Sheet

The lawyer was even more specific in describing the modus operandi and the accounting records kept by his secretary. According to his testimony, there was a sort of coding to disguise the payments aimed at Migueles.

‘My assistant María Pía Peñaloza maintained a sheet where amounts were recorded. The payment method involved withdrawing money from one of the various accounts the office had, which was recorded as a withdrawal, declared as tax, and the extra amount paid to Mario was intended for Migueles’ payment, appearing categorized as ‘cost,’ ‘expenses,’ or ‘cost for expenses,’ or similar,’ he mentioned to prosecutors, as reported by La Tercera.

This declaration is precisely what has led investigators to speak of a genuine ‘corruption sheet,’ a record whose whereabouts and physical existence could be crucial in proving the crimes.

Ultimately, Lagos did not hesitate to emphasize the extent of trust and authority Peñaloza held as his assistant. His testimony places her as a person with thorough knowledge of the firm’s finances and the capacity to operate autonomously, always under his direction.

‘María Pía Peñaloza is a completely trusted assistant of mine; she handled the accounts and signed some checks; all, with my knowledge and instruction,’ the lawyer stated. For the Prosecutor’s Office, this declaration not only justifies the urgency of searching her home and taking her testimony but also positions her as a crucial figure in unraveling the financial network that, according to the prosecutorial thesis, facilitated paying judicial favors in exchange for sizable sums of money.