Escándalo en la SBS: superintendente aparece en investigación por lavado de activos

The superintendent of the Superintendency of Banking, Insurance, and Pension Funds (SBS), Sergio Espinoza, is mentioned in a tax investigation for alleged money laundering, according to tax documents revealed by the Investigative Unit of Panamericana Television. The case has generated controversy because he is the top official in charge of overseeing the system for preventing this crime in the country. According to the tax complaint, the investigation stemmed from an international transaction related to a private international contract signed on July 1, 2020, between the Peruvian company Topsale SAC and the Chinese company Citisino Holdings Limited. The agreement stipulated a transfer of 200 million euros, money that, according to the complaint, never reached the Peruvian company's intended account. The investigation is being led by Provincial Prosecutor Eduardo Cuevapoma, of the Second Specialized Supraprovincial Corporate Prosecutor's Office for Money Laundering Offenses. According to the tax document cited in the report, “the participation of the Superintendency of Banking, Insurance, and Pension Funds (SBS) itself is not ruled out, as they allegedly carried out a series of fraudulent operations to legitimize the receipt, retention, and/or transfer of funds to third parties.” The tax authority's hypothesis points to the alleged crime of money laundering in the form of conversion and transfer. When asked about the case, Sergio Espinoza did not provide direct statements and responded through the SBS's communications department. Initially, the institution stated it was unaware of the complaint and later denied the accusations. However, the report maintains that the money laundering investigation is still in its preliminary stage and that it is not the only tax proceeding related to high-ranking officials of the entity. HIGH-RANKING SBS OFFICIALS ALSO FACE COMPLAINTS AND FISCAL INVESTIGATIONS The journalistic investigation also indicates that other members of the SBS's senior management face complaints or tax investigations. Among them are Mario Zambrano Berendsohn, Deputy Superintendent of Cooperatives; Carlos Cueva Morales, Deputy Superintendent of Legal Regulation; and Jorge Mogrovejo González, Deputy Superintendent of Banking and Microfinance. The report states that these officials are facing investigations for alleged crimes such as aggravated fraud, collusion, abuse of authority, falsification of documents, and cybercrimes. Another aspect addressed is the compensation structure within the institution. According to the report, the SBS allocates more than 20 million soles annually to productivity bonuses, while Sergio Espinoza reportedly receives a monthly salary of approximately 41,600 soles. Including bonuses and gratuities, his gross income in 2025 would have reached approximately 582,400 soles. The report also mentions a preliminary investigation against María Fernanda García Yrigoyen, head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, for alleged crimes of abuse of authority and falsification of documents related to a complaint filed against a private company. #SergioEspinoza #SBS #MoneyLaundering #TaxInvestigation #FinancialSystem #Prosecutor'sOffice #UIF #PeruNews #PeruCorruption #PeruCurrentEvents