After the Supreme Court of Justice in Mexico ruled against an injunction presented by the Secretaria de Gobernacion (State Department), which sought to stop Congress from auditing the gaming licenses it had issued since 2005, the Government decided that it will withdraw the injunction and will allow the Auditoria Superior de la Federacion (ASF) to follow its constitutional mandate and investigate the Segob.

Blocking the investigation had become an untenable situation for President Felipe Calderon, especially as most of the questionable gaming licences were granted during the administration of ex President Vicente Fox. As a matter of fact, Segob's opposition to ASF's investigation predates Calderon's administration, which is a consequence of former Segob Chief Santiago Creel's promotion and approval of gambling regulations in 2004 to the Federal Gambling Law of 1947.

Hundreds of gaming licences have been granted to political favourites, leading to corruption charges against Creel, now a senator, for favouring a company created in 2005 where a close relative is one of the major stockholders. Last night, a Segob under minister said: "In the service of transparency that the people demand of his government and the irrefutable commitment to accountable practices, President Felipe Calderon has decided to withdraw the constitutional injunction sought by this department to stop investigations of the gaming licences.” (E-02.15.08)

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