Luis Milanés Free On
us$12 Million Bail
Luis Ángel Milanés
Tamayo, a fugitive from
Costa Rica for the last
six years, suspected of
fraud of us$200 million
dollars against his
investors, mostly
foreigners, was in
custody less than 24
hours before being set
free by a judge.
Milanés, despite his
claim that he turned
himself in, was detained
in El Salvador and
deported to Costa Rica
on Thursday after
Salvadoran immigration
officials found
irregularities with his
documentation and
contact Interpol after
learning of his true
identity.
Milanés was asked to
post a us$12 million
dollar bail in return
for his freedom, the
bail guaranteed by six
properties valued at the
amount located in San
José.
The deal to post the
properties was accepted
by the Ministerio
Público after evaluating
the proposal.
As well, the Oficina de
Asesoría Técnica y
Relaciones
Internacionales (Oatri)
de la Fiscalía said they
accepted the bail deal,
saying that although
Milanés has been a
fugitive for the last
six years, he seemed
willing to submit
himself to trial,
especially giving weight
to the fact that he
turned himself into
Salvadoran officials.
That statement is in
contrast to the
statement by the
International Police,
Interpol, who have said
publicly that Milanés
was detained at the
Aeropuerto Internacional
de El Salvador when he
attempting to board a
flight to Costa Rica
under an assumed name,
using a fake passport.
The Juzgado Penal de San
José, in addition
imposed restrictions
Milanés that he cannot
leave the country and
has to appear at the San
José courthouse every 15
days to sign in. The
court also gave Milanés
until next Tuesday to
hand over the titles of
the properties as
guarantee for the us$12
million dollars.
The Juzgado warned
Milanés that if he
doesn't comply will all
the conditions, his bail
will be revoked and will
be ordered to preventive
detention (jail),
according to a press
release issued by the
Oficina de Prensa del
Poder Judicial.
Judicial sources said
the properties being
used to post bail are a
farm in Santa Ana; a
parking lot and a hotel
in downtown San José;
two office buildings
located on Paseo Colón;
and another unspecified
property. A court "perito"
has estimated the value
of the six properties to
be us$12 million.
Milanés has been on the
run since November 23,
2002, when he closed the
Savings Unlimited
offices on Paseo Colón
and disappeared, leaving
behind some 2.600
investors holding the
bag on some us$200
million dollars invested
in a high interest
paying scheme that was
allegedly used to buy
hotels, casinos and a
beauty salon among other
properties.
Nine people, along with
Milanés, were arrested
after the collapse of
the investment deal and
following the filing of
charges by some of the
investors. All the
accused are currently
free and in Costa Rica.
Milanés had been the
only accused that was
fugitive of the law.
The Savings Unlimited
closing came says after
the closure of the
Ofinter and The Brothers
a similar high
investment scheme run by
the Enrique and Osvaldo
Villalobos, and an
alledged us$1 billion
dollars in investor
deposits.
Osvaldo Villalobos was
tried and sentenced to
19 years in prison, a
sentence that was
ratified on June 2 by
Sala Tercera de la Corte
after an appeal was made
to the original
sentenced handed down by
a lower court, which
also imposed restitution
of some us$20 million
dollars to a number of
investors who had filed
a claim.
Enrique Villalobos,
brother of Osvaldo, is
still missing and his
whereabouts unknown. An
international warrant
for the arrest of
Enrique is still active. |
