SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s Justice Department announced Tuesday that it is suing at least 30 ex-government officials accused of corruption to recover more than $30 million in public funds.
Among those sued are three former legislators, including María Milagros Charbonier, who was sentenced in May to eight years in federal prison after being found guilty of theft, bribery and a kickback scheme.
“We are going to recover the Puerto Rican people’s money and claim an amount that totals three times the damage caused by those who have illegally appropriated public funds," said Domingo Emanuelli, the U.S. territory’s justice secretary.
Also sued are eight former mayors including Félix Delgado of Cataño and Ángel Pérez of Guaynabo. Delgado was sentenced to one year in federal prison in March after pleading guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for awarding millions of dollars’ worth of municipal contracts. Pérez was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison in February after being found guilty of bribery and extorsion.
Their attorneys could not be immediately reached for comment.
Puerto Rico’s Justice Department had long been accused of not cracking down sufficiently on widespread government corruption on the island, with federal authorities taking the reins in recent years.
“For the first time on the island, the Puerto Rican Justice Department sued more than 30 convicts for corruption with the purpose of recovering public funds and demanding reparation for the damages they caused to the Puerto Rican people," Emanuelli said.
The department also sued two companies: J. R. Asphalt, Inc., and Waste Collection Corp. Federal authorities have previously accused them of being linked to government corruption cases.
Coral Murphy Marcos, The Associated Press
