(Bloomberg) -- Chile’s securities regulator and its tax collection service announced internal investigations after a local news report alleged companies were bribing officials within both agencies.

The regulator, known as CMF, said in a statement it will also press charges against lawyers Luis Hermosilla and Maria Leonarda Villalobos, and businessman Daniel Sauer, a partner at now defunct brokerage firm STF Capital and factoring company Factop. Local investigative news service Ciper posted audios Tuesday online of them allegedly conspiring to bribe CMF agents and tax officials.

The CMF ordered the suspension of STF Capital in May after it failed to fulfill auditing requirements. That later led to accusations against sister company Factop for fraud and creating fake invoices that it would sell at a discount to investors. 

In the recordings, Hermosilla, a renowned criminal lawyer, can be heard suggesting creating a “black box” with money for bribes. Hermosilla Wednesday denied paying bribes, according to statements sent to the local press, saying that the accusations are part of a political conspiracy. 

The audio recordings threaten to shake Chile’s business community after other financial scandals in recent years. Lithium miner SQM and holding company Grupo Penta were investigated in the last decade for illegally funneling money to political parties.

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