Ex-Senate President Armando Benedetti angrily declared charges Wednesday against two senators for taking home monthly salaries of up to $24,000 and blamed Senate President Juan Manuel Corzo for giving them their power to do so.
Benedetti announced a case of alleged irregularities in the contracting of Senate Secretary Emilio Otero and Administrative Director Omar Velasquez, and warned that he would put his credentials on the line pending their resignation.
Benedetti criticized Corzo for allowing the two congress officials to regain the full power of their positions that had been previously restricted because of alleged irregularities that arose related to renting vehicles.
In his defense, Corzo said he has spent more than 30 years in the public life and explained that “they don’t allow me to control other people.”
The conservative president insisted that he is a lawyer, and that he is “not going to empower those who don’t deserve it; I gave back certain functions because the law established this necessity.”
Lastly, Corzo said that although he had been asked on various occasions to look into the irregularities, he never did, because he claimed it was the responsibility of the Comptroller’s Office.
Corzo already has four criminal investigations against him for alleged corruption. Last week, Corzo appealed to lawmakers to receive a political immunity from prosecution while in office.