Paraguayan Prosecutor's Office Launches Criminal Investigation Into President

Paraguay's Prosecutor General's Office has launched a criminal investigation into the country's President Santiago Peña following the freezing of accounts belonging to nearly 3 million customers at Ueno Bank.

Operativ Media reports that the announcement was made on the official X account of the Prosecutor General's Office.

A total of three criminal cases have been opened by order of Prosecutor General Emiliano Fernandez. The investigations encompass the supervision and financial recovery procedures of Ueno Bank, the placement of state funds in the institution, and the actions of current and former officials from various state agencies.

In addition, the Chamber of Deputies of Congress voted to initiate impeachment proceedings against Peña. The opposition alleges that the president engaged in a conflict of interest due to suspected ties to Ueno Bank.

Although Peña announced his resignation on October 5, Congress was unable to hold a vote to accept or reject it due to the lack of a quorum.

Notably, the Central Bank of Paraguay placed Ueno Bank under external administration on November 3, resulting in the freezing of all accounts at the institution. The bank reportedly serves around 3 million customers, out of Paraguay's total population of 7 million.