We predicted in our editorial of August 7th, that Eduardo Meyer, ex-President of the Guatemalan Congress, would probably not talk about other people involved in 11 million dollars theft of congressional funds channeled through the private investment firm MDF.

The scandal about the mismanagement of funds forced Guatemalans Parliament President Eduardo Meyer to resign. According to latest news, Eduardo Meyer has stated that he can not name names, if he does, he is afraid he will be killed. We wrote in the August 7 Editorial: “Dr Meyer knows too much, should he talk, many, many other important public figures in Guatemala could be exposed.” It seems that this is exactly the case.

Previously Meyer insisted he was not aware of the transaction and that his former private secretary Byron Sánchez and Congressional financial director José Conde, both currently on the run, are solely responsible. The scandal intensified when MDF director Raúl Girón declared himself unable to raise that amount of money and give it back to the Congressional coffers. Girón disappeared before being accused of fraud by the Attorney General’s Office, which issued a warrant for his arrest and ordered to freeze his assets and bank accounts.

The Attorney General´s Office has not been able to explain why their intervention was so late and so inefficient.

We insist that the responsible government and private bodies have failed to act. All these entities have access to information about financial transactions; they can trace the movements of big amounts of money.

These institutions are:

• Congress
• Judiciary, Attorney General’s Office
• Highest Guatemalan Supervisory entity of Banks and Investment Firms
• Banking System
• Banco de Guatemala 
• Official Financial Auditing system of the nation - Controloria General de la Nación.

Dr. Eduardo Meyer is in a very precarious position, recent findings show Dr. Meyer’s signature on key papers of the illegal transaction of these funds. If Meyer does not want to name the names of other people involved, he can not collaborate with the law. If he does not collaborate with the law, how will the law protect his life?

This is a very ugly situation, it is also a very unique situation that the legal system of Guatemala has to face now.

Photo Lahora.com.gt