Bolivia’s former president, Luis Arce, has been arrested in La Paz as a part of an investigation into alleged graft, the federal government has mentioned.

The investigation pertains to when Arce, 62, was once market system minister beneath then-president Evo Morales, who was once in place of work from 2006 to 2019.

He is accused of authorising transfers from the general public treasury to the non-public accounts of political leaders.

Arce, who left place of work remaining month, is but to remark however his former colleague María Nela Prada mentioned he was once blameless and described the arrest as a “overall abuse of energy”.

The Attorney General’s place of work asked Arce be detained over the alleged crimes of “breach of responsibility and uneconomical behavior”, in keeping with the arrest warrant issued by way of the inner ministry.

Attorney General Roger Mariaca instructed native media that Arce, who was once president from 2020 till remaining month, had invoked his proper to stay silent all through police wondering.

He mentioned Arce would stay in police custody in a single day sooner than being introduced sooner than a pass judgement on to resolve whether or not he’ll stay detained pending trial.

Mariaca denied that the arrest was once political persecution.

Investigations into an alleged multi-million greenback embezzlement on the Indigenous Peoples Development Fund (Fondioc) had been happening for years.

Resources meant for indigenous group sector tasks had been allegedly diverted, tasks had been left unfinished or by no means existed.

Several officers and politicians had been implicated within the case together with Lidia Patty, a former lawmaker for the MAS birthday celebration, whose testimony has been utilized by the Attorney General’s Office to request arrests.

Bolivia’s Vice-President Edmand Lara mentioned the arrest of Arce was once a part of an anti-corruption marketing campaign.

“All those that have stolen from this nation will go back each and every remaining cent and shall be held responsible sooner than the regulation,” he added.

The arrest comes not up to two months after centrist candidate Rodrigo Paz received the October runoff election, finishing just about twenty years of dominance by way of the leftist MAS birthday celebration that Arce, who determined to not search re-election, represented.

Under Bolivian regulation, individuals of the outgoing govt department would possibly not depart the rustic for 90 days after a transformation in executive.

In his first week in place of work, which began remaining month, President Paz mentioned he had unearthed “a cesspool” of graft by way of previous leftist governments.

As an audit is finished of public enterprises, prosecutors this week arrested six former executives of state oil corporation YPFB on corruption fees.

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