Former mayor of Dosquebradas, Caldas, accused of alleged appropriation of public resources

Fernando José Muñoz Duque, former mayor of the municipality of Dosquebradas, Risaralda, was presented by the Attorney General's Office, along with 12 other former officials and individuals who had appropriated public resources and directed contracts in their favor.

According to the evidentiary material held by the Prosecutor's Office, the former official had directed the recruitment so that it remained in the hands of “some of his friends and close people” who presented themselves as representatives of companies, foundations or associations.

These contracts were tendered to carry out

The prosecutor succeeded in establishing that the contracted companies did not have the experience, technical or financial capacity necessary to carry out their contractual responsibilities. In fact, they would be called paper companies, since the assets did not exceed 2 million 500 thousand. It was even evident that the contracting process was done directly, without carrying out previous market studies, presenting false quotes, in addition to ignoring several essential requirements.

The contracts investigated have a value of 2,961 million pesos, of which the Prosecutor's Office proved that they appropriated 1,878 million pesos, of which 239 million pesos were handed over to then Mayor Fernando Muñoz. It was also possible to determine that the contracts were fully paid, but the activities of the contract were partially fulfilled.

During the hearing of the former mayor, a prosecutor described how the alleged embezzlement of the 239 million pesos was committed,

This is why a prosecutor from the Specialized Directorate Against Corruption charged: Fernando José Muñoz Duque, mayor of Dosquedradas, Risaralda in 2016 and 2019; Nini Lorena Acevedo Pérez, former Secretary of Health; Huberney Jaramillo Osorio, former Treasury Secretary; Jhon Uber Obando Giraldo, former private advisor; Julián Alberto Carrizosa Montoya, former Secretary of Agricultural Development; Alfredo Castañeda Rodas former Secretary of Government; Luis Fernando López Mustafá, former Chief Operating Officer of Environmental Management; and Carlos Elías Márquez Valencia, former operating director of the Secretary of Government; in addition to individuals, owners or representatives of companies and foundations hired: Rita Inés Velásquez Cifuentes, Julián Andrés Valencia Arias, Yeny Tatiana Duque Castro, Juan Carlos Velásquez Cifuentes and Jennifer Londoño Rivera; the crimes of: embezzlement by appropriation, contract without compliance with legal requirements, improper interest in the conclusion of contracts, ideological falsehood in private document, falsehood ideological in a public document and a concert to commit crimes.

Former Mayor Muñoz had already paid a 12-month prison sentence, while investigations were being carried out for the contract carousel during his administration.

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