FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Chaves Robles of Costa Rica makes a statement to the news media before meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
SAN JOSE (Reuters) -Costa Rican officials awarded kickbacks to a top government ally using funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), prosecutors alleged on Monday, filing charges against the president and a top minister.
The attorney general's office said that a former presidential adviser, Federico Cruz, was paid $32,000 to buy a house through funds awarded by the CABEI.
The CABEI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cruz is already under criminal investigation, prosecutors said, along with the head of a communications firm contracted by the Costa Rican government, which allegedly led the dealings.
Reuters was not able to immediately contact Cruz for comment.
According to investigators, officials held several meetings at the presidential palace to hash out the deal.
Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves and Culture Minister Jorge Rodriguez, who previously acted as communication minister, face between two to eight years in prison if convicted, prosecutors added.
The president's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Alvaro Murillo and Kylie Madry; Editing by Chris Reese and Alistair Bell)
