Bolivia's de facto government (2019-2020) has several corruption cases pending among some of its officials, including the de facto ruler, Jeanine Áñez. | Photo: Twitter: Presidency Bolivia

La Paz, May 30 (RHC)-- The "Tear gas" case in Bolivia continues its saga of arrests.  And over the weekend, a judge ruled preventive detention for five months in a Cochabamba jail for Daniel Leonardo Aliss Paredes, who is the brother-in-law of the former coup Minister of Government, Arturo Murillo.

Aliss Paredes is being investigated for illicit gains linked to the case of the purchase of repressive materials under the de facto Government of Jeanine Áñez between 2019 and 2020.

Likewise, the judge resolved the application of four months of preventive detention for the case of Murillo's ex-dean and police captain, Daniel Bellot, who will have to serve the sentence in another prison.

The prosecutor assigned to the case, Magaly Bustamante, explained that the resolution was taken in a hearing of precautionary measures where the Public Prosecutor's Office accredited that the risks of obstruction and escape are present in the case of the accused.  In fact, Murillo himself is a fugitive in the United States.

The Deputy Minister of Justice and Fundamental Rights, César Siles, highlighted that the recent judicial action shows that justice "is moving forward" and is investigating the facts registered in the "Tear Gas" case which, according to him, "affected the economy of the State and the good faith of Bolivians."

In this sense, he said: "We understand that in the next few days the procedural situation of other people who are being investigated will also be defined."  He recalled that the Public Prosecutor's Office presented in the last hours the request for Murillo's extradition to the judge in charge of the jurisdictional control of the case, which is a first step that must go through an analysis of formal and substantive requirements for its presentation to the Foreign Ministry and subsequent referral to the United States.

Murillo's brother-in-law was arrested as well.  He had withdrawn money and valuables from a safe deposit box in a financial institution in the city of Cochabamba, which was in Murillo's name.

The two are charged in an investigation against Murillo for the irregular purchase of anti-riot material in 2019, during the de facto government of Jeanine Áñez.    At least $5,600,000 U$D was paid and it is estimated that there was an overpricing of more than 2 million 300,000 dollars that benefited Murillo and a criminal organization.