A real estate developer will face trial on charges of fraud related to the construction of an apartment building in Ajijic, according to a report issued this week by the District V Regional Special Prosecutor’s Office headquartered in Chapala.
The alleged fraud was committed when the accused, identified as Mario “N”, made a verbal agreement with a client in September 2019 to build apartment units and a commercial outlet on a property located on the Chapala-Jocotepec highway. The cost of the project was estimated at 1,800,000 pesos, to be completed in a period of one year, nine months.
However, the offended party avows that the builder abandoned work in July 2021 after being paid a total of 4,400,000 pesos. He also claims he finally paid an additional one million pesos to a different contractor to finish the project.
After filing a criminal complaint, the victim’s denouncement was supported by the agents of the Prosecutor’s Office and Investigation Police who compiled evidence showing probable cause for the indictment of Mario “N” on the charge of fraud.
The investigation file was recently turned over to the Control Judge of the Criminal Court who ordered the arraignment of the accused, to be held in custody for as long as six months as a precautionary measure until the case comes up for trial.