Penitentiary System Scandal: Court Reverses Community Work Sentence

Minister of Government Dinoska Montalvo insisted that the community work recently assigned to her was merely a legal procedure initiated by her lawyers before the Judicial Branch, not by the Penitentiary System. To date, the Penitentiary System has not revealed the names of officials involved, nor has it informed what measures have been taken while investigations are ongoing. Conviction for Money Laundering. In an appeal hearing held on September 11, the Appeals Court revoked the decision that allowed her to substitute the sentence for community work, accepting the request of the Second Prosecutor's Office against Organized Crime. In light of these indications, the case was referred to the competent authorities, which will now have to determine if there were administrative irregularities or criminal liabilities in the processing of the benefit. The Penitentiary System filed a complaint for the alleged crime of corruption, related to the issuance of the approval by the technical board that allowed community work for Katherine Carvalho, known as "La Parce". In this regard, Minister of Government Dinoska Montalvo clarified that "the Penitentiary System does not grant community work, only judges do." Although the parlors continue to operate due to pending administrative procedures, the court ordered the dissolution of the commercial society and a linked foundation, in addition to imposing fines. This action raises questions about possible preferential treatment and respect for legal procedures. The process continues, and the answers are still to come. "The situation with the aforementioned lady occurred about 2 months ago, while she was deprived of liberty and in an operation, prohibited objects were found, so a complaint remains in the Public Ministry," she added. As part of the plea agreement, the State seized assets valued at 3.3 million dollars, including properties, cash, and bank funds, which will be auctioned or have already entered the National Treasury. Carvalho, owner of the "Donde La Parce" beauty salons, has a prison sentence after being found guilty of money laundering. During the process, it was revealed that the network linked to Carvalho moved more than 5.1 million dollars between 2020 and 2022, and would have laundered more than 7 million using a chain of 15 beauty salons as a front. The authorization was granted just 25 calendar days after her entry into the penal center, a period that deviates from what the majority of the prison population experiences and from the usual times established by regulations.