Bolivia's Attorney General Wilfredo Chavez confirmed the judicial hearing of former Interior Minister Arturo Murillo on Aug. 9 in the U.S.
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Murillo has been detained in the United States since May under money laundering and bribery charges. He directed the purchase of tear gas and non-lethal weapons at inflated prices during the de facto administration of Jeanine Añez (2019-2020).
The case is also being investigated by Bolivian authorities, who claimed the resources were diverted for the real estate project El Doral S.A. in Santa Cruz.
The hearing will be held only for Murillo while the other defendants, including Murillo's chief of staff, Sergio Mendez, will attend the court on Sept. 8.
Bolivian authorities have investigated at least 20 people and have detained five officials connected to the "tear gas" case.
Justice Minister Ivan Lima confirmed that Añez and her cabinet would be summoned to provide information on the decrees that authorized the purchase of the anti-riot material.
The Bolivian government explained that the de facto government allocated US$ 5.6 million dollars for the purchase of the ammunition; however, the supplier (Brazilian company Condor) was paid only 3.3 million dollars for the acquisition.