Ecuadorian commission investigates 95 local officials for wealth discrepancies

The Autonomous Governments Commission of the National Assembly has approved an oversight report investigating alleged unjustified wealth increases among 95 local authorities, including mayors and prefects. Using a “traffic light” methodology to categorize risks, the commission identified 41 officials in the “red” category and 54 in the “orange” category. These officials are suspected of reporting assets that do not align with their official salaries or are already subject to judicial investigations.

The report recommends several actions: forwarding files to the State Attorney General's Office for investigation, requesting financial intelligence and asset tracing from the Financial and Economic Analysis Unit (UAFE), and calling for special audits by the Comptroller General for those in the red and orange categories. Additionally, the commission proposes requesting wealth verifications from the Internal Revenue Service (SRI), investigating potential nepotism with the Ministry of Labor, and pushing for reforms to the Organic Integral Penal Code regarding corruption and illicit asset recovery.