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Chile’s Senate declined Tuesday to impeach President Sebastian Pinera over a business deal revealed in the Pandora Papers leaks, refusing to go along with the lower chamber of Congress in opening proceedings against him.
The vote was 24 in favour of impeachment, 18 against and one abstention. Those voting to charge the billionaire president with corruption needed at least 29 votes to pass the measure.
“The defence has forcefully disproven each one of the facts that are presented as causes of this impeachment,” Senator Francisco Chahuan, from Pinera’s center-right National Renewal party.
This means the case is closed, with no punishment of Pinera over the controversial sale of a mining company in 2010 when he was serving the first of two non-consecutive terms.
If impeached, Pinera could have risked up to five years in jail.
Applause could be heard coming from the presidential headquarters of the Palacio de La Moneda after it became mathematically clear that lawmakers had summoned enough support for the president to avoid impeachment, even though a dozen senators still had to add their own votes.
Pandora Papers
The Pandora Papers highlighted offshore transactions involving major political figures around the world.
They linked Pinera to the sale of a mining company called Dominga, through a company owned by his children, to businessman Carlos Delano, a close friend of the president, for $152 million.
The papers said a large part of the operation was carried out in the British Virgin Islands, a tax haven.
Chile’s opposition has said Pinera benefitted himself and his family with the sale through information he had in the exercise of his office.
It says Pinera’s involvement pushed up the sale price.
The Chamber of Deputies voted last week to open impeachment proceedings.
“Acting as president, he benefited (himself) and his…
Source : france24
