AMLO appointed prosecutor is exposed with millions in U.S. real estate

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Gertz Manero’s millionaire apartments uncovered in NY; one across from central park

An investigation by Univision uncovered two properties of the Mexican prosecutor in New York and California with a total value of 3.5 million dollars

An investigation carried out by the American television network in Spanish, Univision, into the properties of the Mexican prosecutor, Alejandro Gertz Manero, uncovered two properties in the United States, which would be added to those recently revealed by Mexican publications. 

One of these properties is located in New York, in an art deco building on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park; It is an apartment acquired in 2012 for 2.4 million dollars

According to Univision’s investigation, the apartment is located near Fifth Avenue, at 1 East, 66th Street, across from Central Park.

Similarly, in Santa Monica, California, the official acquired another property for 1.1 million dollars in 2007, when he was still serving as President of the Mexican Federation of Higher Education Institutions, AC (FIMPES). 

In an interview for Univisión, Alejandro Gertz Manero reported that the property in New York was declared to the Mexican Treasury and the Ministry of Public Administration; He also affirmed that the California property  “is perfectly registered”; however, he did not clarify whether or not it was declared to the Mexican tax authorities. 

These properties, as well as some others, could be investigated in Mexico, after Mexican media published about the alleged unjustified enrichment of Gertz Manero and Santiago Nieto, who recently resigned to stop being the director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).    

After the media publications, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered one of these investigations to be carried out, as he said he considered both officials honest. 

“That the investigation be carried out on the Santiago Nieto and the prosecutor because it seems that the Reforma is bringing it against Santiago and EL UNIVERSAL against the prosecutor,”
said López Obrador. 

However, President López Obrador was not the only one to request an investigation, since the FIU, through a confidential letter sent to several banks in Mexico, requested that the documents of 79 people be delivered, among whom are Alejandro and Federico Gertz. Manero, the prosecutor’s brother, as noted by the columnist for the daily Reforma, Peniley Ramírez.   

Another name found on the list was that of López Obrador’s former legal advisor, Julio Scherer.  

The name Scherer and most of the characters that the FIU trade includes were mentioned in Pandora Papers, the massive leak of documents from law firms dedicated to the incorporation of offshore firms abroad.

The Mexican prosecutor explained to Univision that their investments are the product of a long-standing family fortune.

“I have nothing to hide,” Gertz said. “That asset that you mention [the apartment in New York] was acquired in 2012, six years before I held the position for which I was elected in 2019. ” The official added that the property “is declared and ratified annually before the audit authorities, which are independent of the institution that I direct, and which depend on the Congress of the Union.”

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Photo: New York Public Record 

In his most recent report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Alejandro Gertz Manero refused to make public his patrimonial data and possible conflicts of interest, although he claimed to have declared his patrimony to the tax authorities and the Ministry of Public Function.      

Given this, the prosecutor declared for the Univision medium that he prefers to keep the details of his assets under reserve to avoid “possible extortion.”

Regarding the New York apartment, which is in the name of Alejandro Gertz Manero, it was apparently acquired for cash, so when questioned about this fact, Gertz did not respond in what form he made the payment.

Some apartments similar to Gertz’s are for sale for an average of $ 3.5 million. The 16-story building features a concierge service, maids, an elevator operator, a private restaurant, and a dog grooming lounge.

On November 15, 2012, when Gertz Manero signed the property deeds, the official had finished his term as a federal deputy of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, according to the list of public positions presented to the Prosecutor’s Office.

The 81-year-old Alejandro Gertz’s fortune has been the center of attention after last December 6, this publishing house revealed that the official bought 122 cars between 2014 and 2015, including several Mercedes Benzes and a Rolls-Royce.

Mario Maldonado, a columnist for EL UNIVERSAL, added to the official’s unknown patrimony a house in Paris. In October, Proceso magazine had revealed that Gertz also owns a house in the exclusive Las Lomas neighborhood of the Mexican capital.

In an interview with Univision, the prosecutor pointed out that the media publications are part of a campaign of “media harassment” that has its origin in the departure of two government officials. Although he did not mention their names, it is public knowledge that in recent months López Obrador accepted the resignation of his legal advisor, Julio Scherer Ibarra and Santiago Nieto, director of the FIU with whom Gertz had a conflictive relationship.

journalistic complaint made by the Mexican-American journalist Alonso Castillo Cuevas released part of the new data on Gertz’s fortune. 

On September 22, Castillo Cuevas asked the FIU to investigate possible financial crimes in the movement of 7.8 million dollars in tax havens “linked to the Attorney General of the Republic Alejandro Gertz Manero,” the document reads. known by Univision. As of the date of the complaint, the entity was under the direction of Nieto.

As proof of his complaint, the journalist attached a document that he identified as a “statement of accounts” of Federico Gertz Manero, brother of the prosecutor, at the Swiss bank Bank Julius Bäer, specialized in wealth management.

The complaint affirms that in these extracts “millionaire deposits are described” that were made through an investment consultancy based in Panama.

However, the document does not mention Federico and there is no evidence that links the prosecutor Gertz with that statement.

Castillo acknowledged to Univision Investiga that he does not have any evidence in this regard and that for this reason, he asked the FIU to investigate the origin of the money and the identity of the beneficiary.

Dated in September 2004, the document reports a “portfolio valuation” in which the distribution of assets, profitability and investment liquidity analysis of a Panamanian consulting firm is detailed. Total investments and bank accounts total $ 7.9 million. 

Santiago Nieto is also questioned 

Santiago Nieto was also involved in the patrimonial questions. On November 8, the then head of the Financial Intelligence Unit submitted his resignation after a scandal broke out related to his wedding in Guatemala with Carla Humphrey, counselor of the National Electoral Institute.

Although Nieto tried to keep the celebration a secret, it ended up making front-page news.

“Before the project could be affected, due to criticism derived from acts of third parties related to a personal and transparent event, I preferred to present my resignation,” Nieto wrote on his Twitter account.

By accepting the resignation of Santiago Nieto, President López Obrador argued that the wedding was contrary to his austerity policy. 

“We must recommend to public servants that they act with moderation, with austerity and follow the example of (Benito) Juárez who said that the public servant should learn to live in the just mediocrity,” said the president.

Source: eluniversal.com.mx

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