Less than a week ago, on November 6, the Office of Institutional Control of the Ministry of the Interior (OCI), informed the head of the sector, General PNP (r) Vicente Tiburcio Orbezothe discovery of a series of irregularities in the acquisition of a transport aircraft for the National Police.
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In summary, in technical language, the OCI reported to Tiburcio that on October 31, Creole Song Day, his office awarded the purchase of a old and second-hand aircraft to a company that does not build it, when the technical bases indicate that the machine must be fresh from the factory and brand new.
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In fact, the General Office of Administration and Finance of the Ministry of the Interior (OGAF), approved the company’s proposal Aero Express FZEwhich offered the Ukrainian-made aircraft Antonov AN-74for which he asked for US$63,900,000.
As reported by La República, the Comptroller’s Office verified that Aero Express FZE is a company that operates from the United Arab Emirates, that it is not a manufacturer of the Antonov AN-74 and that this machine has not been built since 2014. The Ministry of the Interior could not say that it was the victim of a deception.
Comptroller’s Recommendation
WARNING SIGNS
However, after this newspaper revealed that the ambassador of Ukraine in Lime, Yuriy Polyukhovychreported to the government of José Jerí that Aero Express FZE does not represent the Antonov factory and that the offered AN-74 aircraft was built a decade ago, the Ministry of the Interior issued a statement full of inaccuracies, to say the least.
The Ministry points out that the acquisition process began in another government, which is true. But the decision to accept the proposal from Aero Express FZE and to grant it the good deal, despite warnings about the origin of the supplier and the aircraft, and the inflated cost, officials from the Ministry of the Interior appointed by the government of President José Jerí were the ones who approved the suspicious purchase.
The bases of the procurement process that began in 2019 say with absolute precision that the aircraft must come directly from the manufacturer, which is why the Ukrainian company Antonov won the contract.
But the delivery was cut short because, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the establishment where the plane purchased by the Ministry of the Interior was being built was bombed.
Mininter says that he will “invite” the Comptroller’s Office to review the purchase of the Antonov plane, but 6 days ago he already informed Minister Tiburcio that there were irregularities in the process.
SERIOUS INACCURACIES
“It is necessary to emphasize that since this management was assumed, a comprehensive and exhaustive review of the technical and legal aspects of the (purchase) process was arranged, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and responsible use of State resources,” the Mininter says in its statement.
Unfortunately, it is not true.
Precisely, due to a series of questions, the head of the OGAF of the Mininter, Ricardo Kanashiro Romero, was replaced by Ronnie Matienzo Mendozaon October 25. On October 31, Matienzo, appointed by the Jerí government, approved the contracting of Aero Express FZE, which offered the old and second-use Antonov AN-74. It was not the previous Dina Boluarte regime.
Shortly thereafter, on November 10, the Comptroller’s Office issued its report questioning the purchase of an airplane for US$63,900,000, when its market price is less than US$30,000,000, according to Ukrainian ambassador Yyurly Polyukhovych.
The extra cost would reach US$33,300,000.
Quickly, on November 14, Ronnie Matienzo Mendoza also resigned as head of OGAF, after approving the purchase.
Therefore, when the Ministry’s statement says that “the Comptroller General of the Republic was invited to accompany the review (of the acquisition process), in order to guarantee an objective and transparent evaluation,” it does not correspond to the truth.
The Comptroller’s Office has already ruled stating that the contracting does not proceed because the bases were not met. Minister Tiburcio should immediately annul the purchase, not only to preserve public funds, but because the lives of police officers are at stake.
