The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) received this morning the request for an investigation into inconsistencies detected in reports from the National Electricity Administration (ANDE) in the purchase and subsequent sale of energy from the Acaray dam, presented by the deputy and candidate for the presidency of the Republic for the Beloved Homeland Party, Sebastián Villarejo.
The Comptroller’s Office acknowledged receipt of the request at 09:41 this morning. The file number assigned by the CGR is 6931/22.
A loss – which could reach US$ 200 million – occurred with the sale of energy from Acaray, according to irregularities detected in the management of the aforementioned dam, between 1997 and 2007. “We gave away energy while we sold it to Paraguayans,” Villarejo said.
In a note sent to the head of the Comptroller General of the Republic, Camilo D. Benítez Aldana, the legislator requests “the analysis of ANDE’s expenses, on the execution of agreements and contracts for the supply of electricity, coming exclusively from this dam in the years cited.
Based on two requests for reports made previously to ANDE, the deputy of the Patria Querida Party detected that “ANDE previously bought from Itaipu at $25 per megawatt hour (MWh) and sold it to Paraguayans at a much higher price.”
“However, Acaray’s energy was being sold on average at $12.75, even cheaper than the contract allows. When making this comparison, there is an enormous difference that must be substantiated before the pertinent organisms”, lashed the presidential candidate.
Villarejo also explained other inconsistencies detected in these reports. “This type of situation must be investigated and we must mobilize ourselves towards the understanding of the need for a regulatory entity in the energy issue in Paraguay, we must not allow uncontrolled discretion.”
The note was signed by the deputies of the PPQ, Rocío Vallejo and Sebastián García, and concludes by requesting “the communication of the beginning of the investigation and the necessary collaboration is made available to carry out the analysis of the use of public funds of the Nation ».
