▁have ▁fun ne led ▁tax p ayer ▁money ▁from ▁his ▁government ▁contract s ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Kir chn ers ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁rent ▁pay ments ▁for ▁rooms ▁at ▁hot els ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁couple . ▁The ▁official ▁books ▁of ▁B á ez - owned ▁companies ▁showed ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁spent ▁millions ▁of ▁dollars ▁" to ▁reserve ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁Kir chn ers ' ▁hotel ▁rooms , ▁whether ▁the ▁rooms ▁were ▁used ▁or ▁not ". ▁The ▁state - owned ▁air line ▁Aer ol í ne as ▁Argent inas ▁" gu arante ed ▁another ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁rooms , ▁providing ▁a ▁steady ▁flow ▁of ▁prof its ▁to ▁the ▁president ial ▁couple ' s ▁private ▁business es ". ▁ ▁Lan ata ▁also ▁covered ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁B á ez , ▁who ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁mon opol izing ▁all ▁public ▁works ▁in ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁province , ▁had ▁bought ▁several ▁est ates ▁in ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁for ▁US $ 2 8 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁alleg edly ▁having ▁been ▁informed ▁that ▁the ▁province ▁intended ▁to ▁build ▁hydro elect ric ▁d ams ▁on ▁the ▁land . ▁In ▁addition , ▁Lan ata ' s ▁program ▁a ired ▁hidden - camera ▁foot age ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁B á ez ▁associate , ▁Leon ardo ▁F ari ña , ▁admitted ▁to ▁invol vement ▁in ▁a ▁money - la und ering ▁network ▁that ▁handled ▁proceed s ▁from ▁government ▁cor ruption . ▁F ari ña ▁had ▁depos ited ▁ 5 5 ▁million ▁eu ros ▁of ▁B á ez ' s