The Third Civil Chamber, prosecutors from the Anti-Corruption Unit have filed a lawsuit this morning for alleged illicit enrichment against the former Minister of Defense, David Munguía Payés, his spouse Sandra Dinora Molina de Munguía, and their two of their daughters, Sandra Beatriz and Blanca Patricia for an amount of $498,374.31
On October 7, 2021, following a report from the Probity Section, 13 magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice ordered a civil trial to be initiated for an unjustified increase in assets that they detected.
The Supreme Court stated there were indications of illicit enrichment when he was Minister of Defense between June 1, 2009, and November 21, 2011, in the government of Mauricio Funes from the FMLN.
Munguía Payés was also Minister of Justice and Public Security, from November 22, 2011, to June 15, 2013, but that appointment was declared unconstitutional. He was sworn Minister of Defense from June 15, 2013, to May 31, 2014. During the government of Salvador Sánchez Cerén — a second FMLN former president, corruption fugitive — he was in charge of the same State portfolio, from June 1, 2014, to May 31, 2019.
After ordering the civil trial, the Supreme Court ordered to freeze bank accounts. It was also requested preventive annotations to a Volvo vehicle and a BMW that Munguía Payés has in his name.
The Probity Section found the family group 14 irregularities, 11 to Munguía Payés and one each to his wife and daughters, explained one of the prosecutors.
These irregularities are related to bank deposits in checking accounts, time deposits, property purchases, and payments made in cash to credit cards.
“In the administrative procedure, all these irregularities could not be justified, which is why the honorable Supreme Court of Justice determined the existence of indications of illicit enrichment and that give rise to the beginning of the judicial phase that we are urging as representatives of the State” argued the prosecutor.
The public prosecutor’s office wants the defendants to be sentenced by the Third Civil Chamber to reimburse the money obtained illegally and that Munguía Payés be disqualified from holding any public office for a period of 10 years.