In the last hours, the businessman Elbio Rodríguez appeared before the Investigative Commission of Deputies that analyzes Cardoso’s management as a former Minister of Tourism.
Rodríguez acknowledged to the legislators that he presented the Kirma company to the Young & Rubicam agency, but denied that he had done so on behalf of Cardoso.
“Yes. I took it to him. That is true, there is nothing to object or say, ”Rodríguez told the Deputy Investigator.
He assured that it was the agency that set the price for the services that Kirma should be paid ($ 280,000), although he acknowledged that his proposal of $ 31,000 a month would have cost more.
He stated that Kirma is a company with which he had a “business relationship for a year and something, before being known.”
“I have developed campaigns with them, in my company. I have a company in Paraguay linked to online gambling, ”he explained.
He added that he hired Kirma with the aim of “attracting new clients, in his different communication verticals, whether it was Natividad, Google, Adwords. The link I had was strictly commercial ”.
“My objective as a businessman and the intermediation I did was to make Kirma become a digital provider of the agency and that as a consequence it could provide services not only to Tourism, but to other ministries or State entities,” he told the Investigator .
Letter
For her part, Kirma responded in writing to the Investigative Commission. The Observer reported that Giorgios Shipilis said that he is the “sole shareholder, director and therefore legal representative” of Kirma.
He stated that when negotiating with the Ministry of Tourism “he was seeking to open a” gateway to be able to work with the prestigious Young and Rubicam agency.
He stated that the possibility of operating with the Ministry of Tourism “arose through Mr. Elbio Rodríguez”, whom he met in 2019 at the technology and digital advertising fair in London.
“He himself asked us to prepare a work proposal for the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay, addressed to the Young & Rubicam firm, since it was the firm that was indicated to us that was in charge of the bidder selection and evaluation process”, stated in a letter that it was requested to be reserved.
