Investigators opened a concealed security room at Santiago Peña’s residence in San Bernardino, Paraguay, on Nov. 10. The compartment was empty, according to local media. (Foto: Instagram)
Paraguay’s Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a hidden security room at former President Santiago Peña’s mansion in San Bernardino on Nov. 10. The compartment was empty, and investigators found no cash or valuables, according to Paraguayan media. The room had been discovered two days earlier behind a false wall at Peña’s vacation home, about 50 miles from Asunción.
The entrance was protected by an armored door with four security measures, making access difficult for investigators conducting a search of the property. Local media reported that the system included a password, facial or iris recognition, a fingerprint scanner and special Mul-T-Lock keys. Videos published by Paraguayan media showed investigators finding the concealed passage during the search.
Authorities were able to open the door after Peña, through his lawyer, identified where the security key was located. After the procedure, prosecutor Silvia González said Peña had provided the location of the device inside the residence. A day earlier, prosecutor Christian Benítez said authorities were considering asking Peña’s wife, Leticia Ocampos, to help unlock the door using biometric recognition. A controlled detonation was also under consideration.
The mansion is also under investigation over suspicions concerning how its construction was financed. Some of the money may have come from loans issued by Ueno Bank, according to the report. The bank, which had about 2.9 million customers—roughly 40% of Paraguay’s population—was the country’s largest digital bank.
Paraguay’s Central Bank suspended Ueno Bank’s operations on Nov. 3 after finding that its solvency ratio had fallen below half the required minimum. The ratio measures a financial institution’s ability to meet its obligations. Investigators are examining suspicions of asset manipulation and loans to companies linked to the bank’s controlling group. Eight executives were arrested, including bank president Juan Gustale and vice president and founder Miguel Vázquez.
The bank crisis also figured in the political proceedings against Peña. On Nov. 6, Paraguay’s Senate approved his impeachment over alleged involvement with the financial institution, with 44 votes in favor of removal and one abstention. Peña had sought a 72-hour extension to prepare his defense, but the request was denied. The Chamber of Deputies had opened the process on Nov. 5, even after Peña submitted a resignation request. Congress called a joint session to consider that request, but did not vote because it lacked a quorum. After the Senate approved his removal, then-Vice President Pedro Alliana assumed the presidency.
