Miguel Prieto to face trial in Ciudad del Este corruption case

A Court of Appeals has confirmed that Miguel Prieto, the former mayor and current councilman of Ciudad del Este, must face an oral trial in the investigation known as ‘Caso Tajy’. The court rejected all defense motions, including requests to transfer the case to Ciudad del Este or to dismiss charges.

Prieto and six other defendants are accused of breach of trust, criminal association, and administration for personal gain. The prosecution alleges that during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, the municipal administration paid approximately 306 million Guaraníes to a supplier for bakery supplies that were never delivered.

Investigators claim the contracted company, Tajy, lacked the technical and economic capacity to fulfill the order and had no existing stock to support the invoices. The prosecution also noted a commercial link between the supplier and a company owned by Emili Florentín, who was Prieto’s partner at the time. The case will now proceed to a public trial where the prosecution must prove the allegations.