Carante – Barzuna National Police confirmed that ex-president Mario Nadir and vice president Mateus Arias are now under custody over corruption and embezzlement charges during their term.

In its press statement, it said the arrests comes after a year-long investigation. It said that during Nadir’s presidency, millions have been wasted on various public works projects, such as the new Barzona International Airport and the Cambreus peripheric south of Carante. The police have also uncovered evidence of “close ties” between his administration and other high-profile businessmen involved in these projects.

The former president has previously dismissed the claims, insisting that his administration is “clean”. He has claimed that he was unaware of companies and contractors wasting and stealing money, and said he has no involvement in their schemes. Nadir has also repeatedly accused the incumbent president Lisette Masis of using this investigation to “cover up” and “divert attention away” her crimes.

President Masis, who has been impeached and imprisoned on similar charges during her term, said the arrests were a “long time coming”. In her televised address that evening, she said, “You will not be forgiven for past crimes, theft, corruption at any level of government. If the past governments were willing to look away, bury the issues, receive and pay bribes to make things go away, it will not work again.”

President Masis, on her election campaign in 2020, said she would be “tough on corruption” and promised to counter wasteful spending. Masis has previously been impeached and convicted of corruption in 2008. Having been fully pardoned in 2015 following a review in her case, she has rejoined politics and said she would ensure that Barzona’s politicians are to be accountable from now on.

“The past governments who launched their own investigations were simply drawing attention away from themselves to cover up their own crimes. You might be a senator from a famous political family, a representative with 20 or 30 years career, a baron living in a castle and governor of a department, but just watch me, this government will come after you to clean up the mess in Barzona.”