Raids and arrests in Costa Rica corruption probe

Costa Rican authorities executed dozens of searches and arrests Monday as part of a sprawling public corruption investigation centered on the awarding of road construction and maintenance contracts.

Walter Espinoza, director of the Judicial Investigation Organization, said it was one of the most impactful public corruption investigations ever. Espinoza said authorities would try to arrest 32 people Monday, including 19 public officials, but that 40 more had been identified and cases were still being built against them. The investigation began in 2019, after some people brought information to authorities showing that public officials were favoring a group of companies in contracting, Espinoza said. Among the alleged crimes were bribery, embezzlement, irregular payments, influence peddling, misuse of funds and illegal association, he said.