Two senior officials of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) have been formally charged today with a big case of corruption which could involve other members of the Government close to the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, congressmen and politicians from different parties.
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For the moment, the Prosecutor’s Office has charged the former director of UNGRD Olmedo López and the deputy director for Disaster Management of the same entity Sneyder Pinilla with the crimes of aggravated criminal conspiracyaggravated embezzlement, undue interest in the execution of contracts, ideological falsehood in a public document and falsehood in a private document.
It all began in February when the embezzlement of 46.8 billion pesos (about 11.7 million dollars) was uncovered in the purchase by UNGRD of 40 tanker trucks to transport drinking water to desert areas of the Caribbean department of La Guajira. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Lopez kept 724 million pesos (about 179,700 dollars) and Pinilla with 342 million pesos (about 85,000 dollars).
The case has been adding the names of other possible people linked to irregular contracts and the distribution of money among politicians, events that occurred in 2023. The following are the main people involved in the network of possible bribes and distributions of the UNGRD:
1. Olmedo Lopez
Militant of the left-wing party Polo Democrático Alternativo. In the 2010 elections he was Petro’s campaign manager, who in April of last year appointed him director of the UNGRD, a position he held until February 2024, when he resigned due to this corruption case, since it was during his administration that the contract for the purchase of the tank trucks was signed. Last Saturday, in the speech to inaugurate the new session of Congress, Petro apologized for the corruption in the UNGRD and for having appointed López to head that entity.
Olmedo López, former director of UNGRD
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2. Sneyder Pinilla
He was deputy director of UNGRD under López and is accused of allegedly giving money to congressmen and members of the government for the contracts. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, he received 1% of the 100 billion pesos (24.7 million dollars) budget allocated for the purchase of the tank trucks.
Sneyder Pinilla .
3. Luis Eduardo Lopez Rosero
He is the third person charged by the Prosecutor’s Office for being a contractor for the tank trucks and, according to the accusation, having received 13% of the tender. He went from being a small merchant to entering the ring of large state contracts through three companies in his name with which he has obtained, only with the UNGRD, more than 155 contracts totaling 160 billion pesos (about 39.6 million dollars) between 2012 and 2024, according to Noticias Caracol.
4. Sandra Ortiz
After being a congresswoman for several legislatures with the Green Party, Ortiz was appointed by Petro in May 2023 as Presidential Advisor for the Regions. She has been accused – but there is still no judicial accusation – of being the link between Pinilla and the then president of Congress, Iván Name, to deliver the bribes, an accusation that she rejects.
Sandra Ortiz
5. Ivan Name
A member of the Green Party, he was president of the Senate in the previous legislature (2023-2024). According to the allegations, part of the money embezzled in the purchase of tanker trucks was used to pay bribes to Name and other congressmen in exchange for support in Congress for the reforms of the Petro Government. Name has denied these accusations and has not yet been charged.
Ivan Name
6. Andrew Street
A lawyer and member of the Liberal Party, he was Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 2023-2024 legislature. Like Name, he is accused – but not formally charged – of having received bribes, over three days and in the form of cash in briefcases, in exchange for support in Congress to promote and approve the Government’s social reforms. Calle has also denied the accusations.
Andrés Calle, Speaker of the House of Representatives
7. Carlos Ramon Gonzalez
He is the last known name in the case. He was Petro’s right-hand man as director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre) and is currently the head of the National Intelligence Directorate. During the hearing of charges, The Prosecutor’s Office said that Ortiz had orders from Gonzálezas his direct boss as director of Dapre, to allegedly deliver the bribes. He has not yet been formally charged.
Carlos Ramon Gonzalez
8. Ricardo Bonilla
The Minister of Finance, Ricardo Bonilla, has been identified as the person who authorized the disbursement of the UNGRD budget and was also, according to a chat of Pinilla published by Noticias Caracol, the one who He coordinated the awarding of three contracts for 92 billion pesos (about 23 million dollars) to benefit six congressmen in exchange for their support for the expansion of the Government’s debt limit. Bonilla said today that he respects the work of the Attorney General’s Office and that he is calm, waiting for his “chance before justice” to defend.
Ricardo Bonilla, Minister of Finance.
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EFE
