Costa Rica Wiretaps Raise Questions Over Mexican Bank Takeover Bid.

NEW: A Costa Rican fugitive wanted in connection with the country’s massive Madre Patria fraud investigation was caught on wiretap boasting about buying into a bank in Mexico https://www.occrp.org/.../costa-rica-wiretaps-raise... Abraham Chaves Arias is a prime suspect in the Madre Patria case — the alleged theft of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of properties through falsified ownership documents, and the laundering of illicit proceeds. Now a fugitive, Chaves Arias’ whereabouts are unknown. In a May 2023 wiretap, Chaves Arias told an associate that he had “made a deal with some cousins of mine” in Mexico to buy what he described as a “representation” at a bank. 12 days later, Chaves Arias’ cousin Oscar Moisés Chaves Ramirez became a senior executive at Bankaool. Bankaool said a technology company called Grupo Omni had bought a majority share earlier that year, and that Moisés Chaves was the company’s CEO. He has since become the face of Bankaool, leading a rebrand as “Mexico’s first digital bank” and partnering with soccer team Cruz Azul. More than two years after Bankaool first announced a change of leadership, Mexican regulators have still not approved Moisés’ takeover of the bank, even though he is playing a leading role there. Moisés Chaves denied any connection between his acquisition of the bank and his cousin Abraham. He said the money for the Bankaool takeover had come “from investments” and that his first investment into Bankaool was only made in 2024, a year after the wiretapped call. Moisés Chaves has not been named as a suspect in the Madre Patria case. He emphasized that he has no link to illegal activities and no business ties to his cousin. Bankaool did not respond to requests for comment on Abraham Chaves. The bank is not mentioned in the leaked case file. Costa Rica’s prosecutor’s office said it could not confirm whether Bankaool was involved in the Madre Patria investigation. Madre Patria is still under investigation and no suspects have been formally charged.