DATE=10/7/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-41542
TITLE=MEXICO/SALINAS MILLIONS
BYLINE=GREG FLAKUS
DATELINE=MEXICO CITY
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: MEXICAN INVESTIGATORS ARE CONTINUING THEIR PROBE INTO
BANK ACCOUNTS AND PROPERTIES ALLEGEDLY USED BY RAUL SALINAS DE
GORTARI TO HIDE PROFITS FROM CORRUPTION AND DRUG-TRAFFICKING. AS
VOA'S GREG FLAKUS REPORTS FROM MEXICO CITY, THE ELDER BROTHER OF
FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT CARLOS SALINAS DE GORTARI IS DENYING
ANY WRONGDOING EVEN AS THE EVIDENCE MOUNTS AGAINST HIM.
TEXT: IN APPEARANCES BEFORE REPORTERS LAST FRIDAY, ASSISTANT
MEXICAN FEDERAL PROSECUTOR JOSE LUIS RAMOS PROVIDED DETAILS FROM
INVESTIGATIONS IN MEXICO AND EUROPE CONCERNING PROPERTIES AND
MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR ACCOUNTS ALLEGEDLY LINKED TO RAUL SALINAS.
/// RAMOS ACT (SPANISH) ///
MR RAMOS SAID INVESTIGATORS HAD FOUND 140 BANK ACCOUNTS IN MEXICO
AND IN OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL AS BUILDINGS AND LAND HOLDINGS
WHICH WERE EITHER OWNED BY RAUL SALINAS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.
HE SAID MANY OF THE ACCOUNTS WERE TRACED FROM COMPUTER FILES
MAINTAINED BY JUAN MANUEL GOMEZ GUTIERREZ, RAUL SALINAS' FORMER
ACCOUNTANT, WHO WAS BRIEFLY ARRESTED IN JULY BUT LATER FLED.
/// ACT (SPANISH) ///
MR RAMOS SAID THE ACCOUNTS TOTALLED ABOUT 243 MILLION DOLLARS AND
THAT THESE ARE IN ADDITION TO PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED ACCOUNTS IN
SWITZERLAND AMOUNTING TO ABOUT 100 MILLION DOLLARS AND IN GREAT
BRITAIN TOTALLY MORE THAN 23 MILLION DOLLARS. MR RAMOS SAID
INVESTIGATORS IN SWITZERLAND AND THE UNITED STATES ARE ALSO
CONDUCTING THEIR OWN INVESTIGATIONS OF RAUL SALINAS AND HIS
HOLDINGS.
THROUGH HIS ATTORNEYS, RAUL SALINAS DENIED THE NEW CHARGES. HE
IS CURRENTLY IN MEXICO'S ALMOLOYA PRISON FACING CHARGES OF
ILLICIT ENRICHMENT. MEXICAN INVESTIGATORS ARE PREPARING A CASE
THAT WOULD LINK THE RECENTLY UNEARTHED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO
RAUL SALINAS' ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN MONEY LAUNDERING AND
PROTECTION OF DRUG TRAFFICKERS.
IN ADDITION, PROSECUTORS ARE STILL INVESTIGATING ALLEGED
INVOLVEMENT OF RAUL SALINAS IN THE 1994 MURDER OF JOSE FRANCISCO
RUIZ MASSIEU, WHO WAS, AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, GENERAL
SECRETARY OF THE RULING INSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTIONARY PARTY, OR PRI
-- THE SAME PARTY UNDER WHICH RAUL'S BROTHER, CARLOS SALINAS,
SERVED AS PRESIDENT.
BOTH SALINAS BROTHERS HAVE SUGGESTED THE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE A
POLITICAL MOTIVE. CARLOS SALINAS CURRENTLY LIVES IN DUBLIN,
IRELAND, WHERE HE WENT INTO EXILE NOT LONG AFTER THE ARREST OF
HIS BROTHER IN FEBRUARY 1995.
THE CHARGES AGAINST RAUL SALINAS AND THE SELF-IMPOSED IRISH EXILE
OF CARLOS SALINAS HAVE STAINED THE IMAGE OF THE SALINAS
PRESIDENCY, WHICH MANY POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ANALYSTS CREDIT FOR
HAVING MOVED MEXICO INTO THE MODERN GLOBAL ECONOMY. (SIGNED)
NEB/GF/LTD/WFR
07-Oct-98 2:47 PM EDT (1847 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
