The court has ordered the confiscation of $ 584,000 worth of assets of Oscar Santomaria.

Oscar Santamaria, The contractor agreed to accept a $ 6 million bribe, Which means The confiscation of property is not limited to the federal prosecutor’s office Seizure and withdrawal of funds obtained through fraudulent contracts, If the court rules in favor of the legal evidence brought Catano Municipality.

Betsy Asencio Quills, Chief Justice of the Pyramid Court Today, Tuesday, Santamaria and Island Builders ordered a ban on the transfer of real estate owned by the company.Created by him in 2018.

Cataño Municipality’s lawyers argued that the judge should order the confiscation of the property, in exchange for the eventual withdrawal of $ 584,220 raised through fraudulent contracts.

“There is no need to make assumptions here because one of the participants in the fraud testified that three contracts were awarded to Island Builders to mediate bribery.”Argued in an interview New day, Claudio Aliff Ortiz, Aldarondo & López Bras.

Aldarondo & López Bras, a law firm, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday, December 22, seeking to have the contract declared invalid because it was issued in violation of Puerto Rico laws.

Catano Municipality Under his new mayor, Julio Alicia, he filed three separate lawsuits to recover funds fraudulently given to island builders and waste collection companies., Of Santamaría Torres; And JR Asphalt Company, Created by Raymond Rodriguez Santos and Mario Vargas Villegas, which was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Alif Ordis answered questions from this newspaper, regardless of whether the services were provided or not. “The Supreme Court has ruled in numerous cases that the obligation to comply with the Constitution that public funds are used for public purposes (…) can recover public money paid under the Zero Agreement.”.

Judge Asencio Quiles agreed with the municipality’s assessment that the defendant had avoided being summoned, and asked that Santamaría Torres and Island Builders identify all real estate owned by them.

Two more cases are ongoing

Two similar lawsuits were filed by Mayor Alicia Vassello seeking to recover and seize the money distributed. Waste collection Already JR Asphalt, Companies involved in bribery and corruption scheme. In total, it was about claiming $ 23 million in redemption of municipal treasures in addition to fines and fees.

The municipality is demanding a refund of $ 13.4 million provided for waste collection through four contracts and their modifications.

San Juan’s High Court judge, Glorianne Lotti Rodríguez, scheduled a hearing on Jan. 31 to discuss a moratorium on the ban and transfer of assets in a case against waste collection, asking the city council to reconsider her. “In view of the real risk of the defendant disappearing or wasting existing funds to recover public funds, we request that an inquiry be held at any time between January 3 and 14, 2022.”, Sowed lawyers.

In connection with JR Asphalt, the lawsuit seeks to recover $ 9.7 million paid through a total of 47 contracts to the municipal treasury with their respective amendments. An inquest into the suspension is scheduled for this Thursday.