Paraguayan investigators searched former President Santiago Peña’s homes and a Ueno Bank branch as part of a criminal investigation into the bank’s collapse, which has shaken the country and led to Peña’s removal from office.
Prosecutors searched Peña’s residence in the San Bernardino area on Sunday, November 8. The next day, they searched his home in Asunción and spent nearly five hours collecting documents, phones, computers, tablets and security-camera footage. Authorities also searched a Ueno Bank branch and took records about Peña’s investments, prosecutors said.
The investigation follows Ueno’s collapse, which left nearly three million customers unable to access their accounts and triggered protests. Prosecutors accuse Peña of using his presidential influence to direct public funds to the bank and of playing down concerns about its finances. Peña has denied wrongdoing.
Prosecutors are also examining loans he received from Ueno that were reportedly used to build his home. The Senate impeached and removed Peña on November 6. He is being held before trial while the case continues.
The investigation has expanded beyond Paraguay. Prosecutors say they have sought help from abroad to trace or freeze assets connected to the bank.