Elmer Charles reveals the amount of bonuses paid to former officers during the saga administration

In addition to the names of former officials of his government Former President Elias Antonio Saga, His former private secretary, Elmer Charlix, described the amount of the bonus paid with the allocated expenses of the presidency, which is occupied by the administration for non-public expenses.

Charlix presented a document to representatives of the Special Commission, in which he described the names and sizes of the expanded government cabinet and the leaders of the autonomous communities who received bonuses in the saga administration.

He said the bonuses were not illegal and that “they were demonized and questioned from an ethical point of view.”

Amount of bonus awarded, 000 4,000 to $ 10,000.

Charlix said Ana Lijia Saga also received $ 10,000 a month on the orders of former President Saga.

Vice President Rosa Romero asked about the salary and bonuses of current Presidential Secretary Ernesto Sanabria. He was appointed Communications Adviser to the presidency (2004-2009) by his CV. “He’s not an employee there,” Charlix replied. pic.twitter.com/gndrutTitk

– elsalvador.com (elsalvadorcom) July 22, 2021

The highest bonus was $ 20,000 a month for former Deputy Interior Minister Rene Mario Fikurova; Luis Ernesto Montes Brito, former Deputy Foreign Minister for Salvadorans abroad, with a $ 3,000 bonus per month; Former Interior Minister Sylvia Immaculada Aguilar Zepeda received $ 5,000 a month (this former official identified herself with the Ghanaian party); Former Interior Minister Juan Miguel Bolanos was paid $ 3,000 a month.

The former director of the police was given a monthly bonus of 5,000; To Astor Escalant Saravia, former Deputy Minister of Civil Defense, $ 3,000 per month; Former Deputy Interior Minister Douglas Alejandro Garcia earns $ 3,000 a month.

To Deputy Minister of Finance Carmen Regina Flores de Arevalo, 000 7,000 per month; Former Finance Minister William Jacob Hunt received a $ 10,000 monthly bonus; Former Economy Minister Yolanda Eugenia Majorca de Cavidia per month, 000 7,000; Among others.

In the case of former attorneys Belisario Artica and Felix Garrett Safi, he revealed that the amount awarded was $ 10,000 a month.

In addition, Charles told Deputy Rosa Romero that Buchale had never seen Ernesto Sanabria, the current press secretary to the government, at the presidential palace. His application shows that from 2004 to 2009 he was the Communications Adviser for the presidency.

Saga and Charlix were summoned this Wednesday to a special commission of the legislature to investigate alleged bonuses paid to officials of previous governments. In the morning it was the turn of former President Alfredo Christiani and his former private secretary Arturo Dona.

See: Former President Saga admits to paying outside the executive and other political parties during his tenure

Former President Saga said the ministers, deputy ministers and senior government officials he managed received a $ 10,000 bonus in addition to their monthly salary.

Representatives of the new ideas insisted that Saga give full names, and the former president admitted that from 2004 to 2009 he gave bonuses from a secret game to his former ministers, deputy ministers, former lawyers and former magistrates. Of the Constitution Room, because it is a practice that came from previous governments through a “secret” agreement.

Charlix was convicted in November 2020 of the crime of corruption, most notably “illegal enrichment.”

The Supreme Court’s probability inquiries suggest that the former secretary and his wife, Maria Arlene Rivas, have been accused of failing to justify the appearance of funds disclosed in their wealth declarations. As a result of this investigation, the couple was sent to civil court. They condemned him to return 10 710,339.19 and her 3 173,925.75.

Charlix was Saga’s private secretary from 2004-2009, and after a corruption case was filed in that government, he surrendered to the authorities by presenting himself at the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DAN) facilities. . And a criminal case was opened, which ended in convictions in September 2018.

The lawsuit also found that Elias Antonio Saga (10 years), Caesar Funes (five years) and Julio Rank (deceased, five years) were fined $ 260.7 million, $ 886,697 and $ 8.3 million, respectively, in addition to civil liability.

Charles was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a $ 15,000,000 civil liability in favor of the state. The lawsuit was probably funded by the Probate Court, which ruled in favor of the plaintiff.

Can read: “They should investigate all governments, not just the past”: Former President Christiani to a special commission investigating bonuses