Judge Gloria Ana Chevesich closes MOP-Gate case

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SANTIAGO.- Just as had been predicted by today's edition of the "El Mercurio" newspaper, Minister Gloria Ana Chevesich has ruled to close the MOP-Gate case.

The judge had been waiting for a report from the Bureau of Police Investigations Crime Lab –an accounting investigation that arrived last Friday- which concludes that the amount of money lost in the fraud reached a total of $1,253,352,295 pesos solely in the principal accounting book, called "Gate".

According to the report, due to a deliberate inflation of the value of contracts and an exaggeration of costs, 1.226 billion 832 thousand and 295 pesos were lost, while 26 million 520 thousand pesos were defrauded.

The investigation was reportedly requested by plaintiffs and UDI senators Evelyn Matthei Victor Pérez.

With the latest ruling, only four of the 27 angles of the case over the last five years of investigation still remain to be addressed.

The case began at the end of 2002; however Minister Gloria Ana Chevesich took over the proceedings as the result of a Supreme Court order on January 21st, 2003.