Mexico Investigates Ex-President Enrique Pena Nieto for Receiving Millions in Illegal Funds; AMLO Reacts

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known by his initials AMLO, said his government would not fabricate crimes and persecute anyone after the country's anti-money laundering agency launched a probe against his successor Enrique Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto is currently in hot water for alleged corruption. The former president has been accused of receiving millions of dollars in illegal funds.

According to Reuters, the investigations by the head of Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) will look at millions of dollars worth of money transfers involving Pena Nieto, in which the former president may have received "economic benefits."

This will be the first formal legal accusations against the former Mexican leader, who held the country's highest office from 2012-2018. According to the Associated Press, Enrique Pena Nieto has had plenty of corruption allegations. However, this marked the first actual case formally filed against him.

Mexico's President AMLO Reacts on Enrique Pena Nieto's Case

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador made it his campaign promise to pursue and punish corruption. However, AMLO has not yet made any move to prosecute any of the former Mexican presidents.

The current president has been criticized for not going after his predecessors who had committed crimes despite his campaign promises. AMLO even said that "revenge isn't my strong point," and argued that Mexico should look into the future, not the past.

However, when he held a referendum on whether the government should prosecute former leaders last year, this failed to reach 40% participation, with critics pointing out that the government did not need the people's blessing to go after anyone who had committed crimes.

With the criminal complaint against Enrique Pena Nieto already filed, AMLO finally talked about the probe. According to El Universal, he promised that the government would not fabricate any crimes nor carry out summary trials. He also vowed that nobody would be persecuted.

For this case, the president said it was important to act responsibly and with enough evidence. AMLO noted that the government must only go after facts and not make any politically-made decisions.

Enrique Peña Nieto Allegedly Received Millions of Dollars From Firms While Serving as Mexico's President

Enrique Pena Nieto has not been charged yet with a crime. However, Pablo Gomez, the head of the UIF investigating the former president, said Thursday that federal prosecutors have already received the complaint, which alleged that Pena Nieto used illicit funds.

Gomez noted that three wire transfers totaling 26 million pesos or $1.26 million from a family member of Pena Nieto, sent from Mexico to Spain between 2019 and 2021, are being investigated.

He added that the former president was tied to two companies with alleged "financial irregularities," including a family business that sent hundreds of international transfers totaling close to $76 million over several years.

Gomez said the accounts of these companies and the former president have yet to be blocked. Enrique Pena Nieto, who moved to Spain after he left office. On Thursday, he argued that he obtained the money legally.

"I am certain that the appropriate authorities will allow me to clear up any questions about my holdings, and to prove their legality through legal channels. I have confidence in legal institutions," the former president tweeted.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Mexico: Attorney General's Office Has Opened an Investigation Against Enrique Pena Nieto - From TeleSur English