Former mayor of Dosquebradas and twelve officials charged with corruption

The Specialized Prosecutor's Office of Bogotá charged the mayor of Dosquebradas between 2016 and 2018, Fernando José Muñoz, and twelve officials for alleged corruption in contracts concluded for the municipality of Risaralda.

According to the Caracol radio station, different contracts were carried out with companies, associations and foundations in which friends and figures close to the former president of Dosquebradas were listed as representatives. The contracts carried out with a value of more than 2.9 billion reportedly had a diversion of more than 1.8 billion pesos to the irregular contracting network, which was reportedly led by Muñoz.

The specialized director against corruption of the Attorney General's Office, Alirio Calderón, pointed out that the irregular recruitment involved pedagogical and educational campaigns requiring complete training: “In total, nine contracts and agreements related to educational campaigns were committed to the non-use of gunpowder, recycling plans, solid waste collection and disposal programs, maintenance of septic tanks in rural areas and pedagogy on responsible pet ownership.”

Calderón highlighted the lack of infrastructure and capacity of the contracted companies and associations to carry out these required services: “The Office of the Prosecutor established that the contracted entities did not have the experience, technical and financial capacity to fulfill the contractual objects. The contracts detected a possible appropriation of 1,878 million pesos of which 239 million would have been handed over to the mayor.”

The crimes faced by the accused are of improper interest in the conclusion of contracts, ideological falsehood in private document, ideological falsehood in public document, embezzlement for appropriation, contract without compliance with legal requirements and agreement to commit offences.

Although the assurance measure was not requested in the indictment, it is estimated that the indictment will be requested in the coming weeks.

Scandal at the University of Cartagena over allegations of corruption

Allegations of corruption at the University of Cartagena continue. A professor, the project manager, the current rector and a candidate to head the most important institution in Bolivar are mentioned in an alleged clan to direct contracts and receive bribes.

The investigation of the events was carried out by W Radio, which revealed several audios of conversations in which those involved appear. Initially between Venancio Porras, project director of the U de C. and Jorge Álvarez, professor of engineering and who would be close to current rector Edgar Parra.

In the conversation it is clear that they talk about a contract, they refer to auditing, specifications, proposals, budget and previous studies that are part of the structuring of public procurement. Apparently, Alvarez asks Porras to send him the proposals.

“What do I do? If you give me those proposals and I check if you are complying with what the specification says, otherwise I will accommodate the specifications, so that it complies,” says Álvarez. In the conversation, he says that one of the activities must be changed, because they all comply and adds: “Send me the modified document according to the one who is going to win”.

In the conversation revealed by La W Radio, they talk about the money that is supposed to come to Parra, the re-elected rector since 2014, and who would be William Malkun, candidate for the institutional elections that will take place on April 28. “The money doesn't get to Parra and Parra by screwing with the Comptroller's Office. Do you know where Parra gets the money? What you do,” Alvarez tells him.

This conversation could be about an alleged targeting of contracts to choose contractors, who in turn hand over part of the resources in the form of bribe. In the audios they say that “small jobs leave more than anything”, they even refer to 50%.

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