Paraguayan president removed from office after Senate impeachment vote, prosecutors order detention over banking scandal

Asuncion: Paraguay's Senate voted unanimously to remove President Santiago Pena from office following an impeachment trial over alleged misconduct linked to the collapse of Ueno Bank, with all 44 senators present voting in favor.

Prosecutors ordered the detention of ousted President over alleged breach of trust and other offenses linked to the collapse of Ueno Bank, local media reported.

According to local newspaper ABC Color, the order was issued by a team of four prosecutors investigating the banking scandal and sent to the national police for enforcement.

Pena faced accusations of conflicts of interest involving the private bank, regulatory manipulation and misuse of pension funds, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pena submitted his resignation Thursday amid a crisis triggered by the authorities' intervention in Ueno Bank, apparently seeking to avoid impeachment. The Senate voted 24-20 against his resignation, but a joint session of Congress failed to complete the process as lawmakers' walk-out left the Chamber of Deputies without a quorum.

The Chamber of Deputies had separately approved impeachment charges against Pena, paving the way for the Senate trial.

Pena had sought additional time to prepare his defense, arguing that he received the impeachment charges only late Thursday night.

The Senate later ruled that Pena had failed to appear to present his defense and proceeded to review the evidence. His defense lawyers subsequently arrived at Congress.

The president faces impeachment proceedings following the collapse of Ueno Bank, which initially left around 3 million customers unable to access their accounts.

Under Paraguay's Constitution, democratically elected former presidents are entitled to lifetime seats in the Senate and parliamentary immunity, unless convicted in impeachment trials. Pena's removal therefore deprives him of these privileges.

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