Paraguayan authorities found a heavily secured vault behind a false wall at Santiago Peña’s mansion in San Bernardino and were consulting specialists on how to open it. (Foto: Instagram)
Paraguayan authorities searching former President Santiago Peña’s mansion in San Bernardino on Sunday, Nov. 8, found a false wall concealing a vault door equipped with advanced security features. Police and prosecutors were still trying to open it on Monday, Nov. 9.
The door reportedly requires access codes, multiple verification steps and the owner’s iris recognition. Prosecutor Christian Benítez told ABC that he would seek help from specialists to determine the safest way to access the vault.
Benítez said officials were considering whether to blast the door open or bring members of Peña’s family to the property, but not Peña himself. “Detonation is only one option under consideration; specialists will tell us the best way to open it,” he said. “There is no definite decision yet, but we are working with people who can guide us on the best way to open this second gate.”
Peña was impeached on Friday, Nov. 6, in connection with Banco Ueno, which collapsed and triggered a major banking crisis in Paraguay, according to the report. Thousands of people were left unable to access money in their accounts. Peña was placed in pretrial detention and is being held at the Presidential Escort Regiment in Asunción.
