A Chilean office assistant who received an extraordinary payroll deposit — roughly 165 million Chilean pesos instead of his normal monthly wage — has been absolved in a criminal case after a judge ruled the incident should be treated as a civil overpayment rather than theft. The decision, handed down this month in Santiago, has attracted wide coverage and prompted the company involved to announce it will seek further review. Diario Financiero+1

The episode dates back to May 2022, when an employee of Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos (commonly referred to as Cial, a well-known Chilean meat-products group) discovered a seven-figure sum in his bank account — an amount roughly 330 times his usual pay of about 500,000 pesos. The payroll error reportedly credited 165 million pesos to the worker’s account. According to multiple reports, he initially told HR he would return the excess but then resigned three days later and, by the company’s account, stopped responding to follow-up calls. Diario AS+1

Cial pressed criminal charges, alleging the worker had committed “hurto” (a form of theft for found property) by failing to return the funds. Prosecutors sought penalties that, if upheld, could have included jail time under Chilean criminal statutes. But the court in Santiago examined how the money arrived and the worker’s conduct, and concluded the conduct did not meet the elements of a criminal offence. Instead, judges characterised the matter as a “cobro de lo no debido” — an incorrect collection that belongs in civil, not penal, proceedings. The ruling therefore resulted in an acquittal on criminal charges. Diario Financiero+1

Local outlets note the legal distinction is important: a civil claim allows the company to pursue recovery of the sum through lawsuits over unjust enrichment or similar remedies, but it is not the same as a criminal conviction for theft. Cial has said it will file a recurso de nulidad (an annulment appeal) with the appellate court, arguing the judge misapplied the law and seeking to overturn the absolution. The company’s lawyers told Chilean press they intend to pursue “all available legal actions.” Diario Financiero+1

Reporting from Chilean media fills in some factual and human details: the worker — an assistant in the company’s dispatch area, according to court filings cited by local outlets — discovered the transfer, exchanged messages with supervisors, and subsequently submitted a letter of resignation through a lawyer. Photographs and documentation published by regional press show the case has been followed closely by national newsrooms because of the unusually large sum and the legal questions it raises. Diario AS+1

International outlets have picked up the story and emphasised the wider legal and ethical issues: payroll mistakes sometimes lead to criminal accusations in some jurisdictions, while in others the default remedy is civil recovery. Legal commentators told Spanish-language and regional press that an employer’s route to reclaim funds can vary widely by country — and that even where a criminal charge is dismissed, the company retains options to sue for return of the money or for damages. infobae+1

What happens next is likely to be a civil process or an appellate fight. If Cial’s appeal succeeds, the criminal acquittal could be revisited; if not, the company may shift to civil claims seeking repayment or compensation. Either way, lawyers and labour experts say the case underscores two lessons for employers and employees alike: robust payroll checks are essential, and both sides should document communications carefully if an overpayment appears. Diario Financiero+1