Inés Gómez Mont money laundering case, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico City): Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected claims that the investigation into former television host Inés Gómez Mont is politically motivated, according to a report published by Quintana Roo Hoy. Gómez Mont was detained in Miami, Florida.
Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference on Tuesday, November 3, that the investigation relates to an alleged money laundering scheme using invoicing shell companies, not to Gómez Mont’s ideology. She said the former host was part of operations involving funds of illicit origin and that the investigation began before her government.
Responding to Gómez Mont’s claim that she is being persecuted for her ideological positions, Sheinbaum said, “What she committed is a crime.” The president said the detention, which occurred on October 30, is related to Gómez Mont’s immigration status in the United States. She said she hopes Gómez Mont can return to Mexico to face pending proceedings.
A day earlier, Attorney General Ernestina Godoy reported that Gómez Mont has three active arrest warrants in Mexico. One is for organized crime and operations with funds of illicit origin, and two are for equivalent tax fraud.
According to the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the former host allegedly received funds in personal accounts from a scheme that diverted and triangulated public money through shell companies.
The operations under investigation involve contracts worth about 2.45 billion pesos with the former Decentralized Administrative Body for Crime Prevention and Social Rehabilitation. Godoy added that Gómez Mont allegedly declared income lower than what she obtained in the 2014 and 2016 fiscal years, with unpaid taxes exceeding 13 million pesos.
The FGR said the detention in the United States was due to her immigration status, while Mexican authorities are working to have her face proceedings in the country. Gómez Mont is presumed innocent until a judicial ruling is issued.
