Chillán Mayor ordered to stay in country amid public fraud investigation

The Chillán Guarantee Court has ordered a national travel ban on Mayor Camilo Benavente Jiménez following his formalization for two counts of alleged public fraud in the “Medialuna” case. The court has set a four-month period for the fiscal investigation.

The prosecution alleges that Benavente acted against the general interest by authorizing the purchase of the “Medialuna de Chillán” property for 3,276,160,000 pesos. Prosecutors claim the transaction, involving the seller Sociedad Fiesta El Caballo Chileno, resulted in a loss of approximately 1,900,000,000 pesos to the municipal and public treasury because an accurate appraisal was not used. The investigation notes that the municipal council approved the purchase promise in November 2021, but the required appraisals were not conducted until a month later.

Prosecutor Nadia Espinoza Caro expressed dissatisfaction with the court's decision, labeling the travel ban as “insufficient.” The prosecution had requested stricter measures, including total house arrest and prohibitions against contacting municipal employees, citing evidence of pressure exerted by the mayor and municipal entities on potential witnesses. The defense has maintained Benavente's innocence, stating they will demonstrate the legality of the acquisition.