This was his third term as mayor, and in the previous two there were irregularities, according to investigations.
News Colombia.
The mayor of El Playón, Luis Ambrosio Alarcón López, was sentenced to 7 years and 3 months in prison for the crimes of contract without compliance with legal requirements and embezzlement by appropriation. The sentence was handed down by a knowledgeable judge, after evaluating the evidence presented by the Attorney General’s Office. The events that led to this conviction occurred in 2009, during the first administration of Alarcón López.
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The irregularities are related to the signing of two contracts under the protection of the figure of manifest urgency, a mechanism designed to allow direct contracting in exceptional situations.
#ThereisJustice | Given the evidence presented by the #Prosecutiona criminal judge of knowledge sentenced the mayor of El Playón, #SantanderLuis Ambrosio Alarcón López, to 7 years and 3 months in prison for the crimes of contract without compliance with legal requirements, and embezzlement by…
— Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (@FiscaliaCol) October 9, 2024
Mayor of Playón, Santander omitted essential hiring requirements, according to the Prosecutor’s Office
According to the investigation, the legal procedures to guarantee the transparency and legality of said contracts, such as previous studies, did not advance the contractor selection process, did not make a written agreement, did not obtain the certificate of availability, nor the budget record, according to the judicial entity. , were omitted by the mayor.
«The first contract, signed on October 29, 2009, for an amount of 4 million pesos, had as its objective the purchase of merchandise, cement and hose, destined for the Community Action Board of the Santa Bárbara village. The second, signed on November 6 of the same year, amounted to 35 million pesos and sought to finance the municipal fairs and festivals of 2009,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
These offenses led to him being found guilty of embezzlement by appropriation, a crime that refers to the misappropriation of public resources. Despite the strength of the evidence, Alarcón López’s defense filed an appeal against the conviction, in an attempt to reverse the judicial decision.
This case has generated concern in the community of El Playón and has put the debate on transparency in public administration back on the table.
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