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New Delhi
Mexico's former President Enrique Pena Nieto is being investigated for suspected election-related crimes including money laundering (the process of hiding the source of money obtained from illegal sources and converting it to a clean source to avoid prosecution) and illicit enrichment (significant increase in the assets of a public official without proper explanation) as confirmed by the Office of the Attorney General of Mexico.
The press statement referred to him only as âEnrique âPââ in line with Mexican policy of not identifying those accused of crimes. But an official with the prosecutorâs office confirmed that it concerned former President Peña Nieto.
The announcement comes nearly a month after the country's Financial Intelligence Unit revealed that Pena Nieto was facing a probe over international funds transfer of more than a million dollars.
The ex-President, who was in office from 2012-2018 and now lives in Madrid, has denied any misconduct.
Some of the allegations involve Spanish construction company OHL, the Attorney General's Office said in a statement, without giving details.
"Progress in this investigation will allow prosecutions in the coming months," it said.
Pablo Gomez, head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, told reporters in July that Pena Nieto had received around 26 million pesos ($1.25 million) sent by a relative in Mexico.
The movements had come under the radar because they were cash transfers and the origin of the funds was unknown, he said.
Gomes added that Pena Nieto is also believed to have connections with two companies that won lucrative contracts with the Mexican state during his tenure.
Pena Nieto tweeted in response that he was "certain that I will be allowed to clarify before the competent authorities any questions about my assets and demonstrate their legality."
En relación con la denuncia presentada en mi contra por la Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, estoy cierto que ante las autoridades competentes se me permitirá aclarar cualquier cuestionamiento sobre mi patrimonio y ...
â Enrique Peña Nieto (@EPN) July 7, 2022
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a left-wing populist who replaced Pena Nieto in 2018, has repeatedly denounced alleged corruption under his predecessors.
A referendum by Lopez Obrador, the current President of Mexico, championed last year on whether former presidents should be prosecuted failed to draw anywhere near enough voters to the polls for the exercise to be binding.
(With inputs from agencies)