RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian police have called for the arrest of former Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes as part of an investigation into bribes and money laundering. Brazilian authorities said Tuesday that Cartes handed over $500,000 to a criminal organization at the request of his Brazilian partner Dario Messer, then fugitive from the justice that faced corruption allegations, prosecutors told the press.
Messer informed Cartes that he needed the funds to pay legal costs and “it was shown that he was indeed given that money,” prosecutor José Augusto Vagos said.Brazil will ask Cartes’ extradition, federal police reported in an email. Authorities said they had previously requested Interpol to issue a red notification for the former president’s detention. Interpol did not respond to a request for comment. The former president is in Paraguay and is “quiet because he had no commercial ties to Dario Messer,” his lawyer, Carlos Palacios, told The Associated Press.Months ago, Brazilian police arrested Messer _presunto leader of a traffic group of foreign exchange that handed over sobornos_ as part of the Lava Jato investigation, the biggest corruption scandal in Brazil’s history.Since 2014, Lava Jato has not only remereped Brazil’s political and business elite, but has spread to other countries. The investigation brought to light the scale of corruption and illicit relations between the public and private sectors.” There are no untouchables in Paraguay. We are all held accountable,” President Mario Abdo Benitez told the press, adding that he would assess Brazil’s accusations against Cartes.Cartes, 63, amassed a fortune with twenty companies in all kinds of sectors, such as tobacco, banks, football and non-alcoholic beverages. He used his influence to run for president and served a five-year term that ended in 2018. Cartes has frequently denied that his wealth is due to money laundering, cigarette smuggling or drug trafficking. The ex-manager has called Messer his “soul brother,” and he called him “boss,” prosecutors said. They are studying whether his alleged involvement in the criminal organization was temporary in getting Messer’s funds, or whether he was a permanent member. Brazilian authorities called for Cartes to be remanded in custody because it could still fund the criminal organization and in particular unidentified members, prosecutor Marisa Ferrari said. There is a strong suspicion that criminal conduct could be repeated,” Ferrari said. “While Horacio Cartes is no longer president, he retains strong economic power and no less political power in Paraguay. It has several companies; he’s one of the richest businessmen in the country, and he’s a senator.” Cartes is one of 20 suspects wanted by police. All the suspects in Brazil are in prison, while those abroad remain fugitives, authorities said.
