In the heyday of her politics, First Lady Norma Regina was applauded for her haute couture outfits, her trips to fashion shows in Europe and the United States, the sale of organs from children put up for adoption with Olvin Mejía, now a lawyer. Imprisoned for the looting of the Honduran Bar Association, he became a public notary in two years when five years was required to obtain a notary's exsequatur, while I am still waiting for my turn after twenty-five years of practicing the profession.
On the other hand, Roberto Ramón Castillo, the current representative of the Monarch internal movement of the National Party to which Rafael Callejas belonged, enjoyed the honey of power and etc, etc.
But better read what José Rafael del Valle, a Honduran and law student at Harvard University, has written about his findings in his research and academic training.
CALLEJAS-ROMERO CASE: # 2301490
José Rafael del Valle.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
I am a Honduran student at Harvard Law School.
Last Monday, we began to address the issues "Corruption in Central America" and the most discussed issue, to my surprise, was the government of Mr. Rafael Leonardo Callejas Romero 1990-1994.
Professor Mark Rubeintein, a specialist in the field and also recognized for his research, provided us with a copy of the document "Case 2301490 or, the Corruption of former President Callejas".
Said document, which consists of 52 pages, was prepared in Honduras by the Commission against Corruption and is endorsed by the State Department under the number Hond2301490, CallejasRomero9094.
In it, it is detailed that the former ruler unscrupulously appropriated 280 million Lempiras by creating an additional account to which, as president, corresponds or, a Confidential Account.
According to the report, Callejas Romero withdrew this amount from the Oil Industry Development and Stabilization Fund as well as funds destined for the reconstruction of the southern zone, as well as for economic infrastructure and rural development. This report reveals that the former president allocated 262 thousand (two hundred sixty-two thousand) dollars just one week after taking office to pay credit cards from Americam Express and Credomatic.
It shows that for this, he had as accomplices his private secretary Estela Álvarez, the administrator of the Government House Almandina Zelaya de Rivera and Mr. Rafael Rodríguez, the latter, who was in charge of collecting the checks and then depositing them in the accounts. 0189 00337722325 of the Miami Sunbank and 043449859 of the SouthEast Bank of the same city in the name of the wife, Norma Regina Gaborit de Callejas.
And as if that were not enough, according to the document, from that people's money, Callejas Romero paid a debt of his political movement to the Honduran Savings Bank for one million dollars, he gave Mario Rivera López 10 million Lempiras, Gilberto Goldstein three million,
Roberto Ramón Castillo and Sara Isabel Castillo $ 136,000 for "representation expenses" and his children, Rafael Leonardo $ 66,000 and Lastenia $ 25,000.
Traveler's checks for amounts of 262 thousand, 115 thousand and 257 thousand in the name of Estela Álvarez, Almandina Zelaya de Rivera and Rafael Rodríguez are added to the list, which later went to the account of the former president.
The general detail of the movements of the 280 million Lempiras embezzled by Callejas, says the report were: 1991 31 million, 1992 60 million, 1993 111 million and in the last year 7 million were managed.
The report closes, with the revelation of an unscrupulous act, such as the previous ones, such as the cashing of check number: 587335 for three million 100 thousand lempiras, dated January 28, a day after Callejas Romero had handed power over to his successor, Carlos
Roberto Reina.
As a student in the last year of law school, I am outraged above all, by the impunity enjoyed by the former president who, with so much evidence in sight and especially with an official certification from the State Department, Callejas Romero continues to enjoy of everything he stole from the impoverished coffers of my country and as if that were not enough, he is considered a member of the bourgeois elite while thousands of children have nothing to eat, the schools are empty without
the smallest implements and empty hospital warehouses because with the 280 million that Callejas squandered, many of those needs would have been covered.
José Rafael del Valle.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
You must be logged in to post a comment.