The Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), Loretta Ortiz Ahlfrevealed that he received offers from companies linked to Ricardo Salinas Pliego before resolving one of the most controversial disputes over Elektra’s tax debts with the Tax Administration Service (SAT).
According to Ortiz, these offers were intended to influence his decision in the case, which ended with the company being forced to pay a multimillion-dollar sum to the Mexican treasury.
In an interview on Telereportaje de TabascoOrtiz explained that these approaches were not unusual in her experience as a minister of the Court.
“They came from the Salinas Pliego Group and told me: ‘You need them to manage your advertising, your entire image.’ But I was very clear, I don’t need that,” said Ortiz, highlighting the persistent nature of these attempts by the company to establish a relationship that could influence the course of the litigation.
The Minister explained that the offers to the judges range from improving their public image to trips and tickets to sporting events.
“These are the ways of tempting, they offer you advertising, tickets to games, trips with family or friends,” he said, highlighting the pressure that some members of the judiciary face from large corporations.
The Elektra case and the Supreme Court ruling
The litigation in question dates back to January 2022, when the Second Chamber of the Court, with Loretta Ortiz as rapporteur, dismissed an appeal for review filed by Elektra.
The ruling established that the company had to pay 2.636 billion pesos to the SAT for accumulated tax debts. This resolution marked an important precedent in the government’s efforts to combat tax evasion and ensure that large corporations comply with their tax obligations.
Despite this ruling, Grupo Elektra has continued to face various disputes with the SAT, accumulating debts that, according to estimates, exceed 34 billion pesos.
The company recently requested that the Supreme Court take up the pending cases, which has heightened scrutiny over the links between the business sector and the judiciary.
AMLO criticizes Salinas Pliego’s outstanding debts
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has expressed his frustration over the lack of resolution of Salinas Pliego’s tax debts before the end of his term, which concludes in a few days.
On Monday, during his morning press conference, he regretted that a definitive solution had not been reached during his administration, considering the millions of dollars at stake and the long duration of the judicial proceedings.
Following the president’s comments, Grupo Elektra issued a statement accusing the president of carrying out a “systematic attack” against the Supreme Court.
According to the company, AMLO’s statements are based on “inaccuracies and falsehoods” provided by his collaborators, with the aim of putting pressure on the Ministers of the Court in the pending tax cases.
“Elektra reiterates its commitment to complying with the law, but also denounces the political hostility and prejudices on the part of the SAT, which pursues political and economic benefits rather than fiscal justice,” the company said in the statement.
He also accused the SAT of making illegal and duplicate charges, in what he described as an attempt to generate political gain.
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