17 public servants involved in Borge case

On August 18, 2016, EL UNIVERSAL published that then Governor of Quintana Roo, Roberto Borge Angulo, allegedly sold real estate property of the State, through the Institute of the Real Estate Property of the State (IPAE), to relatives, friends and politicians of his circle of influences, according to an extensive investigation performed by the Association Somos Tus Ojos Transparencia por Quintana Roo (We're your Eyes, Transparency for Quintana Roo).

The founder of the association, Fabiola Cortés, documented the existence of 44 real estates in Cancún, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel which were removed from the State public assets to be sold as bargains for an estimated price of one billion 99 millions 492 thousand 370 hundred Mexican pesos.

The former governor of Quintana Roo has been detained in Panama since June 4, awaiting to be extradited to Mexico for this crime, which has since then grown to include accusations of embezzlement, illicit enrichment, transactions with illegally obtained resources, and improper use of office.

The RBA Team

The so-called RBA Team was named as such by Borge himself and is formed by all the individuals who were his closest collaborators while he was in office; most of whom are currently involved in the corruption scandal in Quintana Roo.

So far, 17 former public servants part of the Borge administration have also been implicated and they are legally defending themselves against the accusations. Among those whose arrest warrants have already been issued is the former director of the IPAE, Claudia Romanillos Villanueva, accused of selling public real estate at undervalued prices, who filed an amparo lawsuit to avoid her arrest and was granted temporary suspension by a District Judge – her whereabouts are currently unknown.

Also on this list are the former legal coordinator of the IPAE, Soraya Guadalupe Herrera Manzanilla; former secretary of Roberto Borge Sr., María de Lourdes Pinelo Nieto; and César Celso González Hermosillo y Melgarejo, lawyer of the family and business partner of the shipping company Barcos Caribe, and the real estate company Caracol 65.

Other former public servants are Paulina García Achach, former secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (SEDUVI), who was arrested but made bail; and her predecessor, Mauricio Rodríguez Marrufo, who is currently at the Cereso Prison of Chetumal, accused of improper use of office.

As part of the investigation and inquiries regarding contracts, rent payments and the service rendering of state-owned airline VIP Saesa, the General Attorney's Office issued the arrest warrant of the former Secretary of Finance Mauricio Góngora, former Secretaries of the State , Román Quian Alcocer, Luis Alberto Gonzáles Flores and Gabriel Mendicuti Loría.

The list of implicated individuals and alleged accomplices of Borge may grow, as well as the number of accusations against them, since the audits of 2015 and 2016 haven't been reviewed yet. They reviewed audits will be provided by The Higher Audit Office of the State (ASE).

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