Miguel Prieto faces oral trial over Ciudad del Este food kit bidding

The oral trial against former Ciudad del Este Mayor Miguel Prieto has commenced, focusing on allegations of a rigged bidding process for Covid-19 relief food kits. Prosecutor Verónica Valdez presented initial arguments, alleging that the tender was directed toward the firm Tía Chela to bypass competition requirements.

According to the prosecution, the total tender amount was G. 2,949,650,000, but the company only delivered kits worth G. 819,613,840. This resulted in a purported financial loss of G. 2,130,036,160 for the Municipality of Ciudad del Este. The prosecution claims that technical requirements and financial capacity checks were intentionally weakened to facilitate the specific award.