Powerful Chilean lawyer ordered detained on corruption charges in case shaking the country's elite
One of Chile’s most powerful lawyers has been ordered detained pending trial after being indicted on money laundering and tax fraud charges in a case that has rocked the country’s corporate and political elite
SANTIAGO, Chile — One of Chile's most powerful lawyers was ordered detained Tuesday pending trial on money laundering and tax fraud charges in a case that has rocked the country's corporate and political elite.
After five days of hearings, a court in the capital accepted the prosecution's request to transfer criminal lawyer Luis Hermosilla to state custody.
It was the latest development in a high-profile corruption scandal that blew up last November when leaked audio recordings appeared to show Hermosilla telling a former client about bribes he planned to pay officials at Chile's two main market regulators.
Hermosilla has denied all charges, but he isn't disputing the authenticity of the recording. His lawyer this week said he was “manipulated” into discussing the illicit payments.
The wider investigation has entangled judges, politicians and prominent businessmen, shocking a country consistently ranked among the least corrupt in the region and threatening to stain Chile’s long-standing reputation as a darling of international finance institutions.
Also on Tuesday, the court charged another Chilean lawyer, María Leonarda Villalobos, and her husband, Luis Angulo, with money laundering and tax crimes in the same case. Both deny the allegations.
The judge ordered Hermosilla and Villalobos to be held pending trial, citing “a serious and well-founded suspicion that the accused might obstruct the investigation.” Angulo was placed under nightly house arrest.
The audio recording was first revealed by the investigative
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