Marcelo Cazas, defense attorney for a group of people affected by the purchase of real estate in the “Torre Loritas” building in La Paz, reported that the Attorney General’s Office has admitted the complaint against the owner of the “Loritas” construction company, Harold Lora, for three crimes. In addition, this legal action includes approximately 25 more people who are being accused.
“A complaint that has been admitted, but not only for fraud with multiple victims, but for criminal organization and money laundering of illicit profits,” Cazas said in an interview with Brújula Digital.
The complaint was accepted by the prosecutor specializing in property crimes in the South Zone, Edwin Enríquez.
According to the lawyer, these 25 people who were also placed under investigation are said to be regional managers, sales managers, commercial advisors, accountants and cashiers who are part of the “criminal organization.”
Lora was arrested in late May for alleged fraud, after the La Paz mayor’s office identified that only two of the 17 buildings owned by his company had construction permits. Since then, buyers who had made advance deposits for apartments in the Loritas buildings have requested the return of their advances, but Lora failed to comply with the request on several occasions.
One of the many cases against Lora is that of this group of 10 people represented by attorney Cazas, who since 2021 have been waiting for the delivery of their properties in the “Torre Loritas”, located between 5th and 6th streets of Obrajes, where the work is paralyzed. Some of those affected requested bank loans to make the cash payment, according to the attorney.
“People who had to deliver in 2021 were forced to sign addenda or reconciliations to deliver in 2022, and then 2023 and then 2024, because they knew that they would never comply,” he added.
He said that Lora subcontracted the company NAFFEL to begin the construction of the buildings, which in some cases were not built or were built only halfway; however, this company also belongs to Lora along with Youths Building.
According to the complaint filed by the lawyer, this company NAFFEL would not have records in the Plurinational Commercial Registry Service (Sernap).
The people involved in the case are believed to be suspects; however, the presence of more witnesses is not ruled out as the investigation into these crimes progresses.
