Judge Rodrigo Sarango of Ecuador's National Court of Justice has ordered preventive detention for ten new suspects in the Apagón emergency power embezzlement case.
The ruling followed a four-hour hearing on Thursday, August 27, where Sarango reviewed evidence presented by the State Attorney General's Office regarding contracts with American supplier Progen to acquire 49 electrical generators.
The decision brings the total number of individuals formally processed in the corruption investigation to 31 people, following the initial prosecution of 19 suspects in May 2026.
Court ruling and asset freezing
The hearing began at 16:00 and concluded around 20:00. Sarango stated that the State Attorney General's Office holds the legal authority to request the inclusion of investigated individuals, adding that defense rights were fully respected during the proceedings.
Sarango said that the citizens summoned to the hearing exercised their legitimate right to defense and contradiction. He explained that the court analyzed whether preventive detention met legal requirements of necessity, suitability, and proportionality before imposing the measure.
To secure potential financial penalties and reparations, the judge ordered the freezing of savings accounts held by all ten defendants across the financial system. He also barred the defendants from selling or transferring any of their assets.
Sarango instructed law enforcement to locate and arrest all ten individuals. He specifically directed notifications to Interpol to facilitate international search and capture operations for José Xavier Aimara, Peter Christian Dreher, and José Manuel de Oliveira.
Role of former ministry officials
Prosecution efforts focus on emergency thermal power generation contracts signed during 2024 for the Salitral and Quevedo power plants. State prosecutors allege that the contract irregularities caused financial damage to Ecuador exceeding $104 million.
Among the newly implicated former officials is José Manuel de Oliveira, former general legal coordinator at the Ministry of Energy and Mines. Prosecutors accuse Oliveira as an author of alleged embezzlement based on his intervention in contractual processes.
Peter Christian Dreher, who served as an advisor to the Ministry of Energy and Mines between May and October 2024, is also accused as an author. Prosecutors claim Dreher requested the drafting of terms of reference, possessed advance knowledge of contract details, and maintained contact with a representative of Progen in Ecuador.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines is the cabinet-level government department responsible for overseeing Ecuador's energy policy, electrical infrastructure, and mining sectors.
Contract administrators and technical panel members
Cristhian Andrés Dahik, who acted as legal deputy manager on emergency contracting technical commissions for Quevedo and Salitral, is accused as a direct author after recommending Progen. Prosecutors cited potential flight risks when requesting his detention.
Daniela Piedad Gordillo is accused of abusing her position by failing to perform required legal reviews on contract extensions and deadlines. Investigators state she issued favorable criteria supporting Progen without written documentation.
José Luis Sampietro administered the Quevedo contract between September 11 and December 5, 2024. Prosecutors allege he abused his functions by requesting a legal opinion regarding contractual deadlines that was not adopted.
Marcos Alberto Guerrero succeeded Sampietro as administrator of the Quevedo contract on December 6, 2024. Guerrero has worked at state power company Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (Celec) since 2013 after winning a merit competition.
Celec is Ecuador's state-owned electric company, responsible for operating generation plants and transmission grids across the nation.
Broadening scope of Apagón investigation
Prosecutors further named José Xavier Aimara as a suspect who allegedly favored Progen by authorizing expressions of interest sent to suppliers, creating equipment delivery schedules that led to improper state disbursements.
José Walter Manrique faces co-authorship charges after prosecutors presented evidence showing he attended meetings with Progen officials alongside his wife, Karla Saud. Marlon Iván Casilla and Luis Javier Ugsha were also ordered detained as alleged authors of embezzlement.
The Apagón judicial process began on May 23, 2026, when National Associate Judge Vinicio Rodríguez placed 19 individuals into preventive detention. Those initial defendants included former Energy Minister Antonio Goncalves, former acting Celec manager Fabián Calero, and Progen representatives Andrew Scott Williamson and Karla Saud Calero.
Following the inclusion of the ten new defendants on August 27, the formal prosecutorial instruction phase has been extended for 30 days.
