The Treasury Criminal Court ordered today a lien over the assets (properties, cars, bank accounts) of the seven people detained in relation to the “Cementazo” corruption scandal in Costa Rica.

The Court admitted the request made by the Costa Rica Attorney General Office made last Friday as a precautionary measure after it had filed a civil action for compensatory damages on November 29th.

A total of seven people are currently in custody, executive Juan Carlos Bolaños and six executives of Banco de Costa Rica, Mario Barrenechea, Marvin Francisco Corrales, Andres Viquez, Leonardo Acuña, Rodrigo Ramirez and Gilberth Barrantes.

Bolaños is being charged for embezzlement, influence peddling, criminal simulation and false accusation; while the BCR executives are all being investigated for embezzlement.

According to Costa Rican news website CRHOY, Juan Carlos Bolaños sold one of his properties of 29,205 square meters (314,360 Square Feet) locate in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, 3 months ago and for only 3 million colones (approximately US$5,400) to Alexander Sanchez Porras, the former resident agent of Bolaño’s company Sinocem Costa Rica and who also appears as treasurer in the board of directors of Sinocem Panama. This property is separated into lots and has a house with two pools and a heliport.