With 85 votes in favor, Ruth Arregui was dismissed and censured as Superintendent of Banks after a political trial process followed by the National Assembly for breach of duties.
The official, accused of eight causes that were related to lack of control of payments debited in private banks, lack of control and surveillance of the activities of the financial system, computer fraud, lack of control in the illegal collection of money —as in the case of Big Money—, renegotiation of debt between users and private banks, denied these breaches.
National Assembly calls for impeachment of Superintendent of Banks, Ruth Arregui, for breach of duties
He said that the Superintendence of Banks fulfilled its role and that it fulfilled its powers and duties; and, above all, with his personal commitment to serve with honesty and in a technical and non-demagogic manner, under the attributes of carrying out preventive, prospective, effective, efficient supervision, which seeks the protection of financial consumers.
The official insisted that the exculpatory evidence was convincing and confirmed that the Superintendence of Banks applies the sanctioning regime in the determination of the Organic Monetary and Financial Code, which ranges from light and pecuniary sanctions to the dismissal of its directors.
That since it is in charge of the Superintendency, without a doubt, it has applied the sanctioning regime, and that to date it has applied fines of up to $1,140,000 to banking institutions, which vary according to the gradation of the infractions committed by the institutions controlled. That some of these sanctions have been challenged and others are in legal proceedings.
The 85 votes came from the Union for Hope (UNES), Democratic Left, part of the Pachakutik movement and independents. The PSC abstained and the ruling party voted against.
The questioning legislator, Darwin Pereira, stated that there was a lack of control on the part of the official dismissed today in the bank abuses, since many Ecuadorian businesses went bankrupt and others were left homeless, while the bank charged interest.
The motion presented by Pereira on February 22, and which received the support of the court, determines that Ruth Arregui failed to comply with her functions established in the Organic Monetary and Financial Code, articles 62, numerals 5, 8, 9, 16 and 30; 69, numerals 1 and 8; 261, numeral 2; 263.1; 254 and 275. This, in accordance with the provisions of article 1, numeral 1, of the Organic Law of the National Public Procurement System, as well as with the provisions of article 29 of the Social Security Law.
Therefore, it decided to censure and remove Ruth Patricia Arregui Solano from the position of Superintendent of Banks, due to non-compliance with the functions, in the exercise of her position, in accordance with article 131 of the Constitution of the Republic, in accordance with Articles 78 and 85 of the Organic Law of the Legislative Function.
With what was approved by the National Assembly, it was ordered to notify the Ministry of Labor with the resolution so that the censorship and dismissal of Ruth Arregui Solano from the position of Superintendent of Banks be registered and, consequently, the prohibition of exercising some position in the public sector during the time determined by the Organic Law of the Legislative Function; as well as the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control, for its knowledge.
The impeachment case file will be forwarded to both the State Attorney General’s Office and the State Comptroller General’s Office to initiate the corresponding criminal investigations and initiate special examinations into the improper use of public resources assigned to Ruth Arregui during the exercise of office.
The coordinator of the caucus of the Democratic Left, Marlon Cadena, justified the vote for the dismissal of the official by pointing out that his party decided to respond to the account-saver and account-deposit holder who trusts a financial institution, who trusts that those funds they will be safe. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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