The officials are accused of unlawful exercise of authority and official powers, an offense punishable under Articles 217 and 217 Bis of the Federal Criminal Code, due to alleged irregularities in the contract for the construction of a solar power generation facility. The project was intended to benefit the municipality but allegedly resulted in multimillion-dollar losses.
Investigations by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Corruption indicate that federal funds were improperly used because the energy project was signed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that involved both state resources and federal contributions.
Who Are the Officials Facing Charges?
For this reason, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office formally brought charges against:
- Alfredo Cervantes, former Secretary of Finance
- Rodolfo Téllez Moreno, former Secretary of Public Services
- Jaime Beltrán Martínez, former City Secretary
- Luis Rivera Vargas, former Municipal Trustee
- Mónica Díaz Aranda, acting head of the Secretariat of Administration
The defendants served as municipal officials during the administration of Teresa Jiménez, who is now the Governor of Aguascalientes.
At the state level, the local Prosecutor’s Office focused its investigation on Eugenio Javier Maíz Domene, owner of Next Energy, who is currently in custody on allegations of fraud.
On July 21, the businessman submitted a handwritten statement to the judge, expressing concern for his personal safety and that of his family. He also stated that he holds the Governor of Aguascalientes and other state officials responsible for any harm or attack that might be directed against him.
Warning About Threats to His Safety
In the document, Maíz Domene requested that his statement be officially entered into the court record.
“I fear for my physical safety, as well as that of all my family members,” he wrote.
He extended that concern to his wife, children, parents, siblings, nephews, nieces, and anyone closely connected to his family.
In the same statement, he held the following individuals responsible for any situation that could endanger his safety:
- María Teresa Jiménez Esquivel, Governor of Aguascalientes
- Luis Alberto Villarreal García, her husband
- Manuel Alonso, State Attorney General
- The deputy attorneys general
- Public prosecutors
- Local judges
- State police officers
- Anyone who, according to his account, has participated in the investigations against him
Maíz Domene also claimed that the criminal investigations against him were “fabricated” and requested that everyone involved in preparing those case files be brought to justice.
Source: milenio
