Chilean deputies from the Renovación Nacional (RN) party have formally requested that the Comptroller General of the Republic investigate alleged irregularities in the management and payment of invoices during the 2025 budget closure.
Deputies Diego Schalper and Eduardo Durán filed the official request following reports of disruptions in the state's invoice reception system. The move aims to determine if the shutdown was a deliberate attempt to alter fiscal records.
According to latercera.com, the complaint follows statements made by Finance Minister Jorge Quiroz before the Chamber's Finance Commission. Quiroz described the closure of the invoice reception system at 00:01 hours on January 8 as "extremely anomalous."
The system was expected to operate normally throughout that day, but the interruption prevented state suppliers from submitting necessary documentation.
Schalper and Durán warned in their petition to Comptroller General Dorothy Pérez that the interruption could be a "maneuver oriented to alter the accrual and payment of fiscal obligations."
If confirmed, the lawmakers stated the action would not only harm state suppliers but could also serve as a "maneuver intended to alter the registration and payment of fiscal obligations, moving commitments from 2025 to the 2026 fiscal year."
Potential criminal implications
The deputies argued that such actions would violate fundamental principles of state financial administration, including the legality of public spending, transparency, and budgetary annuality.
Beyond administrative errors, the lawmakers suggested the facts could constitute criminal offenses. Specifically, they pointed to the abuse of public functions to the detriment of private parties, as defined in article 257 of the Penal Code.
Schalper and Durán requested that the Comptroller General refer the findings to the Public Prosecutor's Office if any intentional misconduct is detected.
The Comptroller's Office must now evaluate the admissibility of the complaint and decide whether to launch an investigation to determine if superior instructions were issued to delay the registration of these fiscal debts.
