Peña's million-dollar house is the target of the MP's operation in Paraguay; secret safe is found

São Paulo The Paraguayan Public Ministry carried out this Sunday (8) a search and seizure operation at the residence of former president Santiago Peña, 50 km from Asunción, as part of the investigation into the banking collapse that precipitated his dismissal and arrest, the Prosecutor's Office reported.

The search at Peña's house, in the town of San Bernardino, takes place "for the alleged commission of crimes of breach of trust, as instigator, and administration for one's own benefit, as perpetrator", the MP said in a statement.

According to the ABC Color newspaper, investigators found a safe hidden behind a false wall. The object contained a "sophisticated Israeli security system", according to the publication, and that is why those responsible for the operation were unable to open it.

The suspicion is that Peña paid the 7.7 billion guaranis (equivalent to R$6.78 million at current exchange rates) for the construction of the property in San Bernardino with financing from Ueno Bank, which was closed by the Central Bank of Paraguay and in which the former president was an investor in the holding company until March 2025.

According to the Paraguayan MP, Peña received, in May 2024, two loans from Ueno Bank, worth around US$500,000 (approximately R$2.6 million, at the exchange rate at the time), to finance its construction. The monthly installments were equivalent to around US$38,000 (approximately R$200,000), almost six times his salary as president, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Peña, 47 years old, was placed on Saturday (7) in preventive detention in a military regiment in Asunción. On Friday (6), he was impeached by the Presidency after an accelerated political trial in the Senate.

The former president is being investigated for having favored Ueno Bank with public funds. The Prosecutor's Office maintains that the bank received deposits from public entities while granting irregular credits to companies linked to its owners.

Last Tuesday, Ueno Bank suffered an intervention from the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) due to insolvency, and around three million customers — half of the country's population — were left without access to their deposits. Eight of its directors are in prison.

With Peña's impeachment, the vice president, Pedro Alliana, took office. This Sunday, the new president reported on

The new president reported that deposits have already been returned to almost 1.2 million account holders, in an amount close to US$158 million (R$869.1 million). The refund process is expected to continue throughout the week.