I Love Chile Weekly Magazine | Page 6

NATIONAL NEWS SANTIAGO’S EX-MAYOR SENTENCED TO PARTIAL HOUSE ARREST FOR HIS TAX CRIMES By CLEMENCE REROLLE PABLO ZALAQUETT, MEMBER OF THE UNIÓN DEMÓCRATA INDEPENDIENTE (UDI) PARTY AND SANTIAGO’S EX-MAYOR, HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO NOCTURNAL HOME ARREST, BARRED FROM LEAVING THE COUNTRY AND A MONTHLY SIGNATURE FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN CORRUPTION CASES. SANTIAGO — June 22 at 9:15p.m, judge Juan Carlos Valdés determined Pablo Zalaquett’s sentence for the corruption crimes he committed: “Nocturnal home arrest, national detention and monthly presentation of a signature in Lo Barnechea police station” reported El Mostrador. Pablo Zalaquett has been found guilty of committing tax crimes of over US$71 million, money that came from contributions from eight different companies –Corpbanca, Alsacia, Eurocorp, Penta, SQM, Eccsa (Ripley), La Manada and Inmobiliaria el Bosque- reported La Tercera. Moreover, he was accused of having emitted fake bills through Reactor Spa, a Marketing and Communication company, to obtain financial resources for his senatorial campaign. Despite the importance of Zalaquett’s offenses, the judge applied the “criteria of proportionality for a particular case”, considering that the ex-mayor had displayed an “irreproachable previous conduct” before being involved in the Penta Case, reported El Mostrador. 6 Prosecutor Carlos Gajardo considers that Pablo Zalaquett is the “key gear, the essential piece, the piece that, if taken out, the crime ends”, wrote La Tercera. He is also