A total of five people are being investigated for possible links to the embezzlement of more than 60 million pesos from the Sonora State Council for Public Works (CECOP), which was revealed a few weeks ago. The public servant identified as the main perpetrator had a property seized in Hermosillo.
In an interview, the head of the Sonora Anti-Corruption and Good Government Secretariat, María Dolores del Río Sánchez, announced that since the complaint was received in April of this year, an investigation file has been prepared to clarify the alleged embezzlement involving a number of public servants from the State Council for Public Works (CECOP).
She commented that since the beginning of the investigation, the utmost discretion has been exercised to avoid interfering with the judicial process and to protect the integrity of those involved until the necessary evidence is obtained.
The investigation has progressed, and so far, four of the five public servants implicated in the alleged embezzlement at Cecop Sonora have been located, notified, and summoned to testify about the events, confirmed the official, whose employees hold various positions within the state agency, and their participation is being evaluated based on the evidence gathered so far.
“At that time, we received a complaint from the former general coordinator of Cecop (David Mendoza). From that moment on, we began an investigation. We have been very discreet because we first relied on a principle that all those who came with me adopted when I took office, which is the principle of confidentiality,” she explained.
Because of this, the person who allegedly embezzled the public resource is being sought through various legal proceedings, both within and outside the entity.
“The Sonora Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing the criminal case. I understand it relates to specific offenses they have mentioned. And we are working on a serious and non-serious misconduct case,” he responded when asked if the agency under his charge is responsible for issuing sanctions.
Once that stage is completed, the case will be referred to the Administrative Court of Justice in Sonora, where the corresponding fines or sanctions will be imposed, which could result in disqualification from public office, against whoever is found responsible.
Source: oem
