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Mexico investigates 42 companies linked to Juan Collado

EL UNIVERSAL found that some of the alleged partners in these companies are former employees who were offered money to sign papers

Juan Collado was former President Enrique Peña Nieto's personal lawyer - Photo: File Photo/EL UNIVERSAL
18/08/2019 |12:26Susana Zavala |
Redacción El Universal
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Lawyer Juan Collado

, who has been accused of money laundering and organized crime , is linked to 42 companies , which are also being investigated by the Attorney General's Office for carrying out “irregular businesses” with Libertad Servicios Financieros .

All these companies were created between 2000 and 2013 in Querétaro, Guanajuato, Veracruz, Mexico City, and the state of Mexico . The companies belong to different sectors: entertainment and sports events organizers, real state , entrepreneur promotion, mall administration , services for the oil industry , hotel and tourism companies, among others.

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On July 23, EL UNIVERSAL revealed that six of these 42 companies obtained 45 contracts for MXN $967, 637,803 during Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto's administrations .

EL UNIVERSAL

also revealed that some of the alleged partners in these companies are former employees who were offered money to sign papers or family members who were tricked into signing documents.

According to Sergio Hugo Bustamante, Collado's former business partner and plaintiff , using the documents obtained it was possible to link 18 people with irregular businesses involving Libertad Servicios Financieros .

So far, five arrest warrants have been issued for this case, including Peña Nieto's personal lawyer, Juan Collado , and accountan t José Antonio Rico Rico, who is named as a partner in at least 11 companies and whose entire family is involved.

There is also an arrest warrant against Tania Patricia García Ortega , who is a partner in 9 companies and is allegedly involved in illegal activities .

The other two arrest warrants were issued against José Antonio Vargas Hernández and Roberto Isaac Rodríguez Galvéz but there are not partners in any of the 42 companies.

The companies involved

Promoeventos Deportivos y Sociales Queretanos, S.A. de C.V., and Desarrollo Deportivo Integral, S.A. de C.V., were created in 2003 and 2009 in the state of Querétaro; these companies are specialized in the organization of sports and entertainment events .

The real state companies involved are Corporativo Inmobiliario Querétaro S.A. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Comercial Campa S.A. de C.V., and Administradora Inmobiliaria Arco S.A. de C.V., among others.

Pictor S.A. de C.V., and Corporativo Jansa S.A. de C.V., are focused on entrepreneurship ; Plazasplus S.A. de C.V. administrates malls ; Agencia Marítima Vite S.A. de C.V. offers services to oil companies .

Comercial Juegos de la Frontera S.A. de C.V. is part of the gambling industry and Hoteles Panorámicos de México, and Hoteles Turísticos Nacionales S.A. de C.V. offer accommodation and tourism services; Comedores Industriales Cema del Centro S.A. de C.V. is offers restaurant services.

The oldest business involved in the Collado case is Libertad Servicios Financieros , a company created almost 60 years ago.

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