The assets of their partners and minor children will also be examined.

The General Comptroller of the State will carry out special examinations of the patrimonial declarations of 25 generals of the National Police.

In a statement issued on Monday, December 27, 2021, the Comptroller’s Office announced that the examinations were arranged by order of the deputy comptroller, Carlos Riofrío.

According to the institution’s statement, the auditors responsible for the special examinations will have to determine if the assets declared by the 25 generals coincide with the income obtained from their work. Comptroller reports may have administrative and civil consequences and may even be used as evidence of criminal liability in which case records are sent to the prosecutor to investigate possible crimes.

Why will the audit be done?

The Comptroller’s statement says that the audit of the National Police generals is being made from a request submitted by the Minister of Government, Alexandra Vela, on December 15, 2021.

Vela requested that the patrimony of 19 generals be examined. However, the Comptroller’s Office decided to examine six more generals. The statement from the institution that is in charge of ensuring that public resources are used efficiently does not specify who the 19 generals were that Vela had asked to be examined initially.

Vela’s request was submitted days after an Ecuavisa journalist published a report on the assets of several Police generals that included the General Commander of the National Police, Tannya Varela.

The auditory

The Comptroller’s Office says that the institution’s auditors will review the “assets and liabilities” that senior officials have declared. Assets are the set of possessions that a person has, and liabilities are their debts.

In addition, to carry out the audits, the Comptroller’s Office said that it will ask various public institutions for information related to “the patrimonial changes” that the 25 generals have made over time. Some of the institutions that will be asked for information are the Internal Revenue Service (SRi) and the Superintendencies (it was not specified which ones). Information will also be requested from the Property Registries.

The institution says that the estimated time in which the patrimonial investigations will be carried out is 91 days. In the investigations, says the Comptroller, the assets of the “spouses, common-law partners and minor children” of the 25 police generals will also be examined.

The objectives of the audit

According to the Comptroller’s Office, the examinations of the general assets’ declarations have three main objectives. These are:

• Determine that the differences in the financial statements are related to the sources of the funds obtained.
• Verify that the patrimonial declarations include all the assets of the generals and their partners and minor children.
• Check that the generals have complied with the legal provisions related to the presentation of the patrimonial declarations.

The Organic Law for the Presentation and Control of Sworn Assets Declarations says that the members of the National Police and other forces of order “will make an additional affidavit, prior to obtaining promotions and at the time of their retirement.” The declaration of patrimony must be made to the General Comptroller of the State.

Who are the 25 generals to be tested?

The 25 generals of the National Police who are going to be audited by the institution are on active duty, although four of them have a legal battle to remain in the institution. The State Comptroller General confirmed that the generals under investigation are:op of FormBottom of Form

1. Tannya Varela Coronel, General Commander of the National Police (highest authority of the institution).

2. Carlos Cabrera Ron, Deputy Commander General of the National Police.

3. Byron Vallejo Martínez, National Director of Technologies.

4. Marco Villegas Ubillús, National Financial Director.

5. Nelson Ortega Curipallo, Inspector General.

6. Fabián Salas Duarte, National Director of Legal Advice.

7. Fausto Salinas Samaniego, General Director of Citizen Security.

8. Manuel Íñiguez Sotomayor, Director General of Investigations.

9. Mauro Vargas Villacís, General Director of Intelligence.

10. Gilberto Ponce Parra, National Director of Anti-Drug Investigation.

11. Fausto Olivo Cerda, National Director of Human Talent Administration.

12. Alain Luna Villavicencio, National Director of Investigation of the Judicial Police.

13. César Zapata Correa, Zone 9 Police Commander.

14. Fausto Buenaño Castillo, Zone 8 Police Commander.

15. Víctor Zárate Pérez, Undersecretary of Police.

16. Rommel Navarrete Delgado, National Director of Logistics.

17. Edwin Noguera Cozar, National Director of Special Operations.

18. Pablo Ramírez Erazo, Director of the National Service for Comprehensive Attention to Adults Deprived of Liberty and Adolescent Offenders (SNAI), and former Zone 4 Police Commander.

19. Freddy Sarzosa Guerra, Zone 5 Police Commander.

20. Freddy Goyes Silva, Zone 6 Police Commander.

21. Marcelo Sáenz Saltos, National Director of Comprehensive Health Care.

In addition, there are 4 generals who have a legal action that orders that they be reinstated to their positions, but it is being appealed. They are technically still on active duty. They are:

22. Victor Araus Macías, Former Zone 8 Police Commander.

23. Pablo Rodriguez Torres, Former Inspector General of the National Police

24. Edgar Correa Gordillo, Former Sub Director of Personnel of the National Police

25. Paulo Terán Vasconez, Former Inspector General of the National Police

Araús, Rodríguez, Correa and Terán were dismissed from their duties in August 2021. However, months later, on December 8, 2021, Judge Verónica Medina accepted a protection action requested by Araus and ordered that he and his companions return immediately to the Police with the position of generals. The Government Ministry appealed Medina’s decision and there is still no resolution.

The Comptroller’s audit comes after the US ambassador to Ecuador, Michael Fitzpatrick, said that there were police generals involved with drug trafficking networks.