Attorney General, Emilia Navas Aparicio, at 8 am this Friday morning, led a raid on Government House (Casa Presidencial) along with the Oeganismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) and while the Ministero Publico (Prosecutor’s Office) executed raids on nine other locations.
The raid on is related to an investigation to determine whether or not a Presidency advisory office accessed confidential data of residents, with respect to the creation and operation of the Presidential Data Analysis Unit (UPAD).
Officials of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) cordoned off the main entrance to the building to president Carlos Alvarado’s office.
Alejandro Madrigal, one of the data analysts, who arrived on foot about ten minutes after the raid began was turned away. “They won’t let me through,” he told the press.
The Prosecutor’s Office said that it investigates the alleged crimes of violation of personal data, abuse of authority and prevaricate.
President Carlos Alvarado is listed as one the people under investigation, as well as the Minister of the Presidency, Víctor Morales Mora, and the Vice Minister of Planning, Daniel Soto Castro.
Also, data analysts Alejandro Madrigal Rivas, Diego Fernández Montero and LGTBI rights commissioner, Luis Salazar Muñoz, as well as Felly Salas Hernández, head of the president’s office, appear on the list of people under investigation.
“It is presumed that, among the work of this group, it would have been ordered to request personal and sensitive data of citizens from different institutions and it is believed that Alvarado was aware of this.
“Apparently Alvarado, Morales and Soto issued a decree to continue developing this activity, although they allegedly knew they were breaking the law. However, given different questions, on the previous February 21, the Presidency of the Republic would have informed about the repeal of this decree,” said the Prosecutor’s Office in a statement.
Among the other locations raided, the offices of theMinistry of Planning (Mideplán), the Ministry of Education (MEP), the Ministry of Transport (MOP), the Ministry of Finance (Hacienda) and the Instituto Mixto de Ayuda Social (IMAS)
Nancy Marín, Minister of Communication, confirmed that the president was not in the Government House at the time of the raid. However, the spokeswoman said, Alvarado, will appear in the afternoon for several meetings in his office.
Marín reiterated that they are “open doors” before the judicial requirements.
On Monday, on national television and radio, Alvarado admitted that there were “errors” in the formation of the unit and described as “legitimate” the concerns related to the decree by which it was created.
So far President Alvarado has not made any public statements, to the press or on social media, on morning raid.
The case file for the investigation is 20-005422-0042-PE.
