Surrounded by journalists, the former minister Andrés Chadwick responded briefly this Sunday to questions about influence peddling in the two governments of the former president Sebastian Piñera after uncovering the Audio Casewho keeps his now former best friend, the lawyer, in preventive detention Luis Hermosilla, and that splashed ministers of the Supreme Court, businessmen, politicians and a good part of the Chilean right.
First he did it when leaving his house, and then at the voting station in the Santiago commune of Vitacura where he had to vote, like all Chileans, in the second round to elect regional Governors. It is worth remembering that the now also former UDI militant declared as accused a week ago on the edge Patio Group of the case, in which his role in the Hermosilla negotiations to expedite construction permits for the holding company of the same name, owned by Jalaff brothers.
“I reiterate it once again. I have not committed any type of crime, nor any illegal act, much less influence peddling or anything else that is said. I have said it in the appropriate instance. And now I ask you to please forgive me, because I have to go vote.“, he began by saying, according to a note from Ex-Ante.
– Why weren’t you at the inauguration of the memorial for Sebastián Piñera?
– I couldn’t due to situations that I had compromised as a result of these issues, but by God I would have liked to go. I was talking afterwards with Cecilia, his wife, and with Magdalena, his daughter, who told me that everything was very nice.
– Could your presence cloud the event?
– No, I had a very deep relationship with President Piñera and with his family on a very permanent basis, and that surpasses any situation.
– What is your version of the meeting with Luis Hermosilla and with the prosecutor Valencia?
– I already made it known publicly, I delivered it through a statement indicating that there was no conversation or allusion to any request in relation to any judicial case.
– Do you consider a formalization possible?
– No, absolutely nothing of that. But I did declare how it has been made publicly known. And I am collaborating with the Prosecutor’s Office and available for everything they need. And I hope that we can, as the investigation progresses, have greater clarity.
– On Tuesday there will be a guarantee hearing requested by his defense. Why did he do it?
– I don’t know if it’s Tuesday, I’m not sure. And it is a hearing that takes place before the guarantee judge. And it is precisely to ask, as its name says, caution of guarantees or precision of guarantees within the process.
– Did they ask you about Dominga? (Mining where Piñera had interests)
– Absolutely nothing.
-And the role of Luis Hermosilla? Was there influence peddling?
– Well, that is what Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office will have to determine. He was an advisor to the Ministry of the Interior in all those matters that were related to judicial cases, the largest judicial cases.
– You spoke with CMF officials about some businessmen (Los Sauer). Were there other conversations? Did Luis Hermosilla pass this information on to you?
– No, I did not have any other information and I have also clarified that publicly.
– Are you afraid of being formalized?
– We are in the investigation process, which, as you know, is secret. I have declared, I have renounced all my rights that I had in order not to remain silent, but to collaborate as much as possible in the investigation. And let’s hope it continues.
-What feeling does all this research leave Luis Hermosilla?
– Let’s hope it continues and we will have greater clarity there.
– Have you been able to go see him?
– No.
