It has taken less than two days for District Attorney Olga Carballo to decide to lay charges against the disgraced former director of Montevideo's municipal casinos, Juan Carlos Bengoa, the incumbent National Casino Director. From 2000-2005, Montevideo's municipal casinos went from being profitable to systematic losing financial exercises totalling more than US$14 million. In 2006, Economy and Finance Minister Danilo Astori promoted Bengoa to his current position.

Along with Bengoa Carballo will also prosecute two of his former aides and two businessmen favoured by million dollar maintenance and slot machine rental contracts. Astori, Bengoa, et al, are members of political group Asamblea Uruguay, which is part of the coalition presently in power in the country. Earlier in the year Astori made a much publicized defence of his protégé, seeking to block the investigation of the losing casinos.

Representative Jorge Gandini, who has led the investigations on Montevideo's municipal casinos, has asked for Astori's resignation. Gandini also accused the ex mayor of Uruguay's capital province, Adolfo Perez, who was Bengoa's boss during the 2000-2005 term. President Tabare Vazquez said in reference to the casino investigation: “If someone gets his hand caught in the till, it should be cut it off." (S-12.18.07)

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