Antigua Guatemala Mayor faces investigation over Q8 million payment

The Comptroller General of Guatemala (CGC) has detailed a complaint submitted to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requesting a pre-trial hearing for the Mayor of Antigua Guatemala. The investigation concerns the management of Q8 million returned by the company Inversiones y Estrategias de Mercadeo, S. A. to the municipality.

According to the CGC, the company had previously paid Q17.9 million to the municipality for a land-use license for the Casa Icatú project. In response, the municipal council issued a check for Q8 million to the company. This disbursement was intended to allow the company to purchase and donate various vehicles—including pick-up trucks, motorcycles, and a cargo truck—to the municipality.

Auditors determined that current legislation does not permit such “compensatory payments,” only contributions. Furthermore, the CGC found no legal basis for the expenditure, noting that the municipality did not directly purchase the goods, nor were there records of the vehicles entering the municipal inventory or any services being rendered to justify the cost.