The Mayor of Montevideo, Carolina Cossewas pointed out this Friday by different actors of the multicolor coalition after the background of the shipment of materials that the departmental government made to the Broad Front for a corre-walk linked to the campaign to repeal the Law of Urgent Consideration (LUC), which revealed The Observer.
Cosse attributed the problem to an “error” of an official. He also said that the issue had been resolved, that the person responsible had understood and would not be punished, but the next day things changed. The commune issued a statement announcing the resignation of the head of the Municipal Sports SecretaryMarcelo Signorelli, after it was discovered that he was responsible for the donation.
After the fact, Senator Jorge Gandini was critical of the mayor’s actions and pointed out that the action, in addition to being “voluntary”, sought to benefit “an electoral campaign with public funds”: “The mayor always minimizes and described this as an error; in the administration there are no errors. There is negligence or there is omission , ineptitude, and those are grounds for dismissal,” he declared.
“Saying that this is an error is a way to cover up a voluntary, clear action that benefits an electoral campaign with public funds. I find it hard to believe that someone was wrong about this,” the white man insisted.
For its part, the Minister of National Defense, Javier Garcíaquestioned the management of the administration, beyond the amounts allocated, and expressed it thus: “It cannot happen that public money from the Municipality of Montevideo or from any other (public) place is used to make propaganda material for an option politics. It can’t happen.”
Garcia stressed that although the backpacks and shirts have already been returned, “the money of the people of Montevideo, who pay taxes with sacrifice, has already been used to advertise a political option.”
In that line, Deputy Felipe Schipani, from the Colorado Party, analyzed the fact as “serious” and assured that “it is not the first time that inconveniences arise between donations from the administration with the FA in Montevideo”. “In our opinion, it is necessary to investigate,” he said and then added: “The Intendancy does well to initiate an administrative investigation as requested by the Montevideo Departmental Executive Committee of the Colorado Party and accept the official’s resignation.”
Laura Raffo, former candidate for mayor and president of the Montevideo Department of the National Partyasked Cosse for explanations and wrote a series of questions addressed to her: “1. Who ordered the purchase 2. Who authorized it 3. From which supplier was it purchased 4. How much did it cost 5. Where are the backpacks and t-shirts now 6. What measures will be taken?
The lawyer Andres Ojeda cited the statements that Cosse gave on Thursday, when he closed the matter, and maintained that Signorelli, responsible for the donation, had committed a crime: “Whoever made the donation committed a crime (arts. 153, 160 and 162 of the Penal Code) and if the Mayor does not report it, she commits a crime of failure to report (art. 177 of the Penal Code). It is that clear, the issue is NOT closed, “he said.
In the statement released this Friday the administration added that it ordered an administrative investigation to clarify all the facts and, eventually, take action.
