The prosecution in the case against former Miss Colombia Valerie Dominguez has decided to appeal the decision to absolve her from all charges of fraud and embezzlement, reported local media Monday.
Colombia’s prosecution has appealed the decision in which a Bogota court on Monday found the model and actress not guilty of committing fraud when applying for subsidies from Agro Ingreso Seguro (AIS), a government bureau tasked with providing subsidies to poor, rural farmers.
The former Miss Colombia was accused of receiving subsidies of $173,000 despite having no connection to agriculture or struggling farmers.
The judge concluded that Dominguez’s ex-boyfriend Juan Manuel Davila, who was found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to 20-years under house arrest a few days earlier, had taken advantage of his “naive, gullible and in love girlfriend.”
He also ruled that she had not knowingly deceived the scheme which provides subsidies to poor, rural farmers.
However Martin Moreno, the prosecutor in charge of research for AIS, will go to the High Court in Bogota to appeal the decision insisting that the ex-Queen knew the grant process and its desired destination.
It seems then that Dominguez will have to wait a few more months to entirely clear her name from the scandal which has been ongoing since she was charged in April 2011.
