He who was director of Municipal Casinos of Montevideo in the period of Mayor Mariano Arana, Juan Carlos Bengoa, obtained freedom in advance this Wednesday afternoon, through a decision of Justice. Bengoa entered prison on 20 December 2007. The charges against him were crimes of fraud, extortion and conjunction of personal and public interest, after being accused of carrying out a recruitment maneuver of slots for the Administration wich benefited companies that belonged to people of his acquaintance.
To exit prison, Bengoa should wait until this Friday at 18 hours. If the prosecutor does not appeal, he will leave the Central Jail where he spent 812 days, but as of last year he was leaving with permit up to three days a week. Until last night the prosecutor had not decided whether to appeal the ruling, according to sources familiar with the case.
For this case also his former aides were indicted, Orestes Gonzalez and Jose Luis Antunez, as well as former casino Carrasco manager, Gustavo Dalmont and Felipe Ruiz, the owner of a company responsible for maintaining the slots. Although the only remaining prisoner is Bengoa.

(www.espectador.com and www.observa.com.uy, 11 March 2010)