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Judge Weighs Eight-Month Extension in ‘Mochasueldo’ Probe of Ex-Advisers to María Agüero

The ruling will decide whether prosecutors gain time to pursue cross-border cooperation to complete documentary, testimonial, pericial work.

Overview

  • The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office asked the Judiciary to extend by eight months the complex preparatory investigation targeting ex-advisers Alexis de la Cruz and Edson Flores.
  • Judge Abel Centeno set a virtual hearing for September 19 at 3 p.m., ordering INPE to enable Flores’s participation from prison.
  • Prosecutors argue the case requires additional time to secure documentary records, witness statements and expert analyses given multiple defendants and international steps.
  • The inquiry alleges the ex-advisers collected portions of salaries from 12 congressional staff between June 2022 and May 2023, with crimes imputed of concusión, illicit enrichment and money laundering.
  • De la Cruz is detained in Spain pending extradition, and María Agüero remains under a separate probe after November 2024 raids on her home and offices.