The Nicaraguan police informed on Monday that they detained 11 Nicaraguans and are investigating three Americans for alleged money laundering through a religious organization to acquire assets in the Central American country.
The accused used “the facade” of the American Christian organizations “Puerta de la Montaña,” based in Nicaragua, and “Shaking the Nations” to cover up the purchase of assets.
The police said in a statement in pro-government media that the detainees designated peasants from the north of the country “as evangelical pastors” to cover up the purchase of “vehicles, farms, homes in residential areas and doing business.”
The statement indicated that the Americans John Britton Hancock and Jacob Britton Hancock, respectively president and member of “Puerta de la Montaña,” arrived in Nicaragua in 2013 with financing from their compatriot Bruce Wagner, aviation businessman and owner of the “Shaking the Nations” organization in the United States.
According to the authorities, the objective was “to bring money into our country” for “properties of movable and immovable property and to do business.”
According to the police, the Americans contacted the married couple Walner Blandón and Marisela Mejía, to register the organization “Puertas de la Montaña” in Nicaragua, and transfer to their personal accounts the funds that businessman Wagner sent from the United States.
The police indicated that “subsequently these accounts were blocked by the amount of money they were receiving, without justification of origin and destination,” so the accused created companies “in order that the money would come in through the bank accounts (…) and thus acquire properties and do business.”
It added that on Sunday it detained Blandón and his wife, in addition to nine other people, and remanded them “to the appropriate authorities for their prosecution and determination of criminal responsibilities.”
“Our institution continues to carry out investigative procedures” on the Americans, the statement added.
Blandón and John Britton Hancock participated on November 10 and 11 in the massive Evangelical Crusade Good News, which among Christian music and praises brought together members of 1,300 evangelical churches in Managua. The crusade received wide coverage in pro-government media.
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