Former Honduran Officials Accused of Corruption Captured

A total of nine former officials and businessmen were arrested this Thursday in Honduras for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent signing of several contracts through which the equivalent of more than was stolen from the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS) of $ 6.6 million between 2010 and 2013.

The spokesman for the Public Ministry of Honduras, Carlos Morazán, confirmed the arrests of the former officials in the framework of Operation Omega, in its eighth phase.

Among the detainees appears the former Vice Minister of Labor, Carlos Montes, whom the Public Ministry accuses of money laundering and two crimes of fraud.

The former Deputy Manager of Social Security Maintenance, Wilmer Rolando Polanco, who is charged with 14 crimes of fraud and 14 of abuse of authorities, was also captured, according to Morazán.

The case was investigated by the National Fiscal Support Unit (UNAF) and refers to the fraudulent signing of works contracts aimed at improving the facilities of a regional hospital and several clinics.

However, such works remained unfinished, of poor quality and overvalued at 52 percent of what was paid by the IHSS, says the Prosecutor's Office; to which the Honduran authorities presented the accusations for the crimes of violation of the duties of officials, fraud and money laundering.

The last director of the IHSS, Mario Zelaya, is in prison for the millionaire embezzlement of Social Security in a military unit near Tegucigalpa with other former officials accused of the looting, which was discovered in 2014 and in which personnel from the last three governments would be implicated. businessmen, politicians, journalists, among others.