Mexico's Attorney General's Office investigates Peña Nieto for corruption

Mexico's Attorney General's Office informed through a press release that there are three open investigations against former President Enrique Peña Nieto for corruption cases such as money laundering, property crimes, electoral offenses and irregular international transfers.

In the statement, the Attorney General's Office disclosed the cases without giving the full name of the person under investigation. As reported by AP, a federal official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that it is Peña Nieto, who governed Mexico between 2012 and 2018.

Investigation into the origin of more than $1.25 million dollars

The announcement comes almost a month after the Finance Ministry's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) dollars in illegal funds and suspected him of having ties with companies that were major state contractors during his term in office.

According to the statement of the Public Prosecutor's Office, the first case includes several allegations of electoral and patrimonial nature. The second case stems from complaints filed by the Treasury authorities for "money laundering and illegal international transfers". And the third case would be for alleged illicit enrichment during his term of office.

On July 7, Pablo Gómez Álvarez, head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, announced that the the ex-president's family withdrew a total of $9.1 million in cash and deposits of approximately US$2.2 million between 2013 and 2022, money of which the source is unknown. In addition, he reported that bank transfers were made at three points in time: one in 2019 for almost $773,000 and two more in 2021 for more than $241,500. The FIU started the investigation on the basis of these transfers made in October last year.

Following the accusations by the Financial Intelligence Unit in July, Peña Nieto said through his official Twitter account that he was convinced that the competent authorities would allow him to "clarify any questions about my assets and demonstrate the legality of the same".

The former president was previously accused of acts of corruption linked to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht by the former director of the state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Emilio Lozoya, who is currently in prison.