Mayor is accused of simulating her own kidnapping to receive ransom and covering up the breach at city hall in Mexico

Nancy Nápoles, municipal head of Tenancingo
Facebook / Reproduction
A mayor was accused in Mexico of simulating her kidnapping to receive a ransom of more than US$2 million - the equivalent of R$10.32 million - in public money and covering up embezzlement in her government, local authorities reported this Thursday (18).
Nancy Nápoles, municipal head of Tenancingo, claimed innocence and said the case is politically motivated. She belongs to President Claudia Sheinbaum's Morena party, which has made the fight against corruption one of the pillars of her government.
The prosecutor's office reported that Nancy was summoned to testify on July 9, for a "simulated kidnapping." There is no arrest warrant against her, unlike her husband and brother-in-law, who are on the run.
According to the prosecution, which bases the case on testimonies from the three "kidnappers", already arrested, armed men forced Nancy out of a car and took her away.
She reported that, while in captivity, the kidnappers threatened to kill her and her family if she was not paid the equivalent of R$12 million "in exchange for her freedom", and advised her that, if she did not obtain this amount, "take it from city hall resources".
In the midst of the plan, according to authorities, an unexpected witness alerted the police, who carried out a search and forced the kidnapping to be aborted. Nancy said she "took advantage of an oversight on the part of the kidnappers" to escape.
The investigation revealed inconsistencies in this version, which led the prosecution to accuse Nancy's husband and brother-in-law of planning the "false kidnapping" to obtain public funds, "since there was embezzlement and this would serve to justify the money."
"I categorically deny it," said the mayor.
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Nancy said she is willing to cooperate with the investigation, "to clarify the facts" and so that "the real culprits are punished".
The prosecution has records of more than 150 telephone calls between her husband and the kidnappers, to whom he offered US$ 28,000 (R$ 144.5 thousand).
Images of Nancy in campaign events by Claudia Sheinbaum, who usually highlights the honesty of her government, are circulating on social networks.

Source: G1