No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCops Raid Santa Cruz, Arrest Mayor in Bribery Case

Cops Raid Santa Cruz, Arrest Mayor in Bribery Case

Tico Times
By Tico Times

SANTA CRUZ, Guanacaste – The Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) this week arrested the mayor of the municipality of Santa Cruz and two other functionaries as prosecutors investigate allegations of bribery, embezzlement and mishandling of public funds.

Prosecutors closed the municipality’s offices in this northwestern town on Tuesday for an expected three days for the investigation, which includes a search of the offices.

By the end of the day Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office placed the three officials under house arrest and suspended their positions. The case falls under the jurisdiction of the Labor and Family Branch of the Supreme Court in San José.

Some of the charges stem from Mario Moreira, the financial director of the municipality, who publicly denounced Mayor Jorge Chavarría for allegedly granting commercial permits illegally to 25 artisans who ply their trade on ConchalBeach.

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Rescue Team Celebrates Miracle Survival in Venezuela Quake Zone

A Venezuelan security guard found alive by Costa Rican rescuers after last week’s deadly earthquakes has been pulled from the rubble after eight days...
Read more

Costa Rica Warns Wildlife Trafficking Is Becoming Organized Crime

Costa Rica’s environmental prosecutors are warning that wildlife trafficking is no longer just a scattered problem of people capturing animals for pets or private...
Read more

Long Lines Hit Costa Rica Airport After Midday Flight Surge

Long lines formed Saturday at the departure immigration area of Juan Santamaría International Airport after a heavy midday wave of flights pushed thousands of...
Read more

What Costa Rica’s Weather Looks Like This Week as an Early Dry Spell Sets In

Costa Rica goes into the first week of July under a markedly dry and windy pattern across the Pacific and the Central Valley, as...
Read more

Costa Rica Rounds Bus, Taxi and Toll Fares as the â‚¡5 Coin Exits

Hundreds of bus fares, along with selected taxi, train and toll charges, will shift up or down by a few colones starting July 1,...
Read more

Costa Rica Study Suggests Earth Has Far More Insect Species Than Scientists Thought

A major new study built on more than three decades of fieldwork in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Conservation Area suggests Earth may be home to...
Read more

Costa Rica Approves Limón Marina Plan in Major Caribbean Tourism Push

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly gave final approval Thursday to a reform that clears the way for JAPDEVA to seek strategic partners for major infrastructure...
Read more

Panama Eliminated From World Cup After 2-0 Loss to England

Panama’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to an end Saturday after a 2-0 loss to England in its final Group L match, leaving...
Read more

World Cup 2026 Exposes Soccer Gap for Central America and the Caribbean

The teams from Central America and the Caribbean have managed just one draw at the 2026 World Cup, another failure for a region that...
Read more
Avatar
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel
Tico Times Logo

© 2026 The Tico Times

Services

Support