The entity warns that the MI-17 helicopter contract could end in financial detriment due to lack of recovery guarantees.
The comptroller general, Carlos Hernán Rodríguez, warned that the contract for the maintenance of MI-17 helicopters of the National Army faces a high risk of ending with the declaration of patrimonial detriment.
Rodríguez explained that after a warning report, the Comptroller’s Office revealed serious difficulties to guarantee the recovery of the more than 16 million dollars given as an advance to the contractor.
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“I see it as quite complicated, or possibly that the detriment is not huge due to the difficulties that are represented,” he stated.
According to the comptroller, the problem lies in the fact that the contracting company does not have assets in Colombia, which prevents the application of effective precautionary measures.
“We are talking about a company that is not here and that has no place to take embargoes and precautionary measures,” he explained.
The comptroller also warned that The case not only affects public resources, but also compromises the country’s security capacity.
“This is an issue of impact not only because of the amount of resources, but also because of what it implies for the issue of security,” he concluded.
Minister of Defense admits risk in MI-17 helicopter contract and announces “plan B” to maintain military operations
Given this, the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, spoke about contract 012 of 2024, signed with the foreign company Vertol Systems Company for the maintenance and sustainment of the fleet. of MI-17 helicopters of the National Army, amid warnings from the Comptroller General’s Office about possible non-compliance and the loss of public resources.
Sánchez recalled that the contract has an expiration date of November 15, 2025 and that in its execution, An advance of 16 million dollars was disbursed, equivalent to 50% of the total agreed value of 32 million.
“Goods and services have already been received for 2.6 million dollars. We have been informed that approximately 5.4 million more dollars are expected to be received in the coming days or weeks,” he explained.
With these additional contributions, about half of the advance already made would be completed, that is, about 8 million dollars. However, the minister acknowledged that, despite the deliveries, the progress still does not correspond to the commitment contractor’s initial.
Helicopters out of service
The contract establishes that the company was to put six MI-17 helicopters into operation, but so far only three have been commissioned.
“It has placed three helicopters in flight, but three more are needed that require greater maintenance and “a deeper intervention so that we can ensure that the contract is fulfilled”said Sánchez.
The lack of this equipment reduces the availability of aircraft for air mobility operations, logistical supply and deployment of troops in different areas of the country, which had already been warned by the Comptroller’s Office as a risk for the response capacity of the Military Forces.
The minister assured that the priority continues to be achieving compliance with the agreed terms. “Plan A is to make sure that contract is fulfilled, so that no resources are lost,” he said.
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However, he also acknowledged that the Government considers an alternative in case the company does not comply with what was agreed. “If not, we have to opt for plan B, which is obviously more expensive than plan A: use the capabilities of other helicopters or other modalities. of logistical transportation to guarantee the operability and operational rhythm of the Public Force,” he added.
Source: Integrated Information System
