After a two week trial that started Monday, February 24, Carlos Quesada, the former manager of the Banco Nacional branch in Cobano, Puntarenas, was found today guilty of embezzlement.
Eight years behind bars is the sentence for Juan Carlos Quesada, the Cobano, Puntarenas, Banco Nacional manager for taking away from the bank vault ¢375 million colones. Quesada is also to to make restitution to the bank in the amount of ¢325 million colones and will spend the next eight months in preventive detention during the appeal period of the sentence.
The Tribunal Penal de Hacienda found that the branch had more cash on hand that normal, in fact Quesada had requested ¢135 million colones two other branches days leading up to January 21, 2013, demonstrating premeditiation.
The former bank manager never denied taking the cash, walking away with it after the branch closed. However, from the first hours he gave himself within days of the act and during trial, he maintains we was coerced, threatened, acting under duress and gave the loot someone never identified. The money was never recovered.
Quesada had worked with the Banco Nacional since 1984.
