Luis Ajeno charged with eight counts of fraud against the Treasury

SANTIAGO. -  The North Central Public Prosecutor, Sonia Rojas, has filed charges against the former president of Chilean State Railways (EFE), Luis Ajeno, before the Seventh Police Court. Ajeno has been charged with eight counts of fraud against the Treasury for a sum of close to 14 million pesos. 

According to the prosecution, Ajeno authorized the payment of eight invoices for administration consulting fees to Patricio de Gregorio “knowing that the activities indicated on the invoice had not been performed”. 

It was revealed during the first stage of the hearing that in 2005, Ajeno had instructed Claudio Carreño –-the head of administration and technology for the state-owned company— to hire Patricio de Gregorio as a consultant for a sales project concerning EFE water rights in Arica.

The service was identical to a job de Gregorio had been contracted for at the company Consolida Ltda., where duplicate payments were generated for the same task.