Only 1% of the 4,000 shackles purchased by the Ministry of Justice in 2016 are available. This concerns the ‘intention’ to improve prison overcrowding.
The lack of electronic surveillance devices (shackles) is exacerbated amid the worst prison crisis of history. The latest figures handled by the National Social Rehabilitation Service (SNAI) point out that there are only 40 devices in stock to be used as an alternative measure to preventive detention. In 2016, the Ministry of Justice bought 4,000 for $ 13.7 million.
The data provided on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, by the authority in charge of prisons indicates that 2,318 devices are registered as damaged. All were destroyed by misuse. That is, the people who wore them tried them cut, pierce them to put water, uncover them to damage the circuits, among other actions that are prohibited.
Product of the bad manipulation, they were generated damage to speakers and microphones, georeferencing systems, in buttons and in the systems that generate the alarms.
Another 595 already carried the accused or convicted in different trials. And a small amount can be recovered.
There were signs since August about the shortage
In August 2021, SNAI was already warning of problems. In an official letter sent by the entity to the Council of the Judiciary, it says, in the pertinent part, “it has been possible to identify the problem of low stock of electronic surveillance devices (DVE) “.
In the document, Fausto Cobo, former head of the SNAI, says that this lack of units occurs for two reasons: damaged devices and a large number of court orders nationwide ordering the installation of this equipment both for prison benefits, regime change, precautionary measures and constitutional actions.
In response, the Council of the Judiciary stated that “he requested the provincial directorates under his charge “, that Cobo’s office be made known to the judicial agencies. The objective was not to cause a total stockout of the shackles. Until now there is no process in the public procurement portal to purchase more.
More pretrial detention, more overcrowding
The Sovereignty and Security Commission of the National Assembly has a report on the prison reality made after the massacres that only in el 2021 they left more than 330 prisoners killed by internal disputes.
The document states that the 40% of inmates do not have a sentence; In other words, they are suspects and are in legal proceedings, but they were sent to jails for lack of better alternatives.
For this reason, the National Court of Justice decided in December 2021 to regulate the use of preventive detention to be the last resort. The Prosecutor’s Office also instructed its agents to make use of this measure to make it exceptional.
LA HORA contacted judges who confess that it is difficult to follow these provisions, when there are fewer alternatives to confinement. In art. 522 of the current Penal Code also provides for the prohibition of leaving the country or the periodic presentation.
SNAI plans to acquire 4,000 devices this year, Although the need reports, market study, technical specifications have just been carried out.
The shackle is not for everyone
In judicial decisions it is observed that lThe shackles have been intended for politicians and individuals accused of corruption. For example, the prefect of Pichincha, Paola Pabón, has a device on her ankle after the protests in October 2019, when she was accused of rebellion.
The former mayor of Quito, Jorge Yunda, prosecuted for possible embezzlement in the acquisition of Covid-19 tests also carries it. In another case, the former tough man of Correísmo Fernando Alvarado, removed the shackle and fled the country in the middle of investigations. He also handed it over to former President Abdalá Bucaram, who is being investigated for alleged irregularities in the marketing of medical supplies during the pandemic. (DP)
A questioned purchase
The State Comptroller General’s Office detected in 2018 seven irregularities in the purchase of electronic bracelets and listed them in a 62-page document.
In one part, it points out, for example, that “the number of devices purchased by the Ministry of Justice it was not based on complete, definitive and updated studies and designs ”. In addition, other shortcomings are mentioned, such as the lack of implementation of fines for possible non-compliance or unjustified acquisitions of equipment (tablets).
In 2020, the Investigative Journalism portal indicated that the Comptroller’s Office vanished a gloss for $ 9.5 million against the former correista minister Ledy Zúñiga and the Chinese company China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (Ceiec), responsible for the contracting and implementation of the system of surveillance devices or shackles.
That signature was also done in 2015 with a contract with the correísmo by $ 36.2 million for the Safe Transportation project which consisted of installing cameras and providing security kits for monitoring and surveillance of transport units.
