The Mexican ex-secretary of of Social Development, Rosario Robles, was taken into custody por alleged fraud linked to the scandal dubbed Estafa Maestra, which means Master Fraud. Rosario Robles Berlanga was given preventitive detention in the Santa Martha Acatitla Prison.
The judge granted the Fiscalía General de la República (the Attorney General’s Office) two months to carry out an investigation.
Rosario Robles was the Secretary of Social Development for two years during Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration. She has appeared in court over prosecutors’ claim that over MXN $5 billion destined for welfare programs under her tenure were unaccounted for.
In 2017, a Mexican news site called Animal Politico and a nonprofit organization called Mexicans against Corruption and Impunity carried out an investigation that discovered that over 50 officials were funneling public funds into various shell companies.
The investigation found that federal auditors detected irregularities worth millions of dollars in accounts of ministries run by Rosario Robles.
Rosario Robles’ legal team said that she had told the expresident Peña Nieto about the observations of the federal auditors about supposed irregularities.
In the 8th of August, Robles attended the first audience where the FGR accused her of improper exercise of public service.
With information from El Universal
Salamander News 