The Comptroller’s Office has launched an investigation into the millionaire contracts that the Ministry of Transport and Communications signed with Chinese companies during the government of Pedro Castillo, after the lobbyist Karelim López will manifest to the Prosecutor’s Office –as an effective collaborator– that there would be a favoring of these companies since last year.
There are 9 projects under scrutiny, executed by Provías Nacional, and in four the company Engineering Integration of Projects (INIP), of the young engineer Roberto Aguilar Quispe, participates in a consortium. The signed agreements add up to S/350 million 595 thousand.
INIP was pointed out by López as part of a “mafia” entrenched in the MTC to distribute works illegally. A criminal organization that, in the words of the investigated, is headed by President Castillo and of which former presidential secretary Bruno Pacheco had full knowledge.
SIGHT: Vladimir Cerrón already contracted with companies indicated by Karelim
For example, one of the projects in which Aguilar Quispe’s company is involved is the conservation of the Ilo-Tacna-Tripartite-Collpa road corridor, which requires an investment of 55,715,634 soles.
The consortium is the Tripartite Group, which is also part of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, and signed the contract on August 23, 2021.
Another of the works that won in consortium is the conservation of the Sondor-Socchabamba-Vado Grande road, in Piura. The investment cost amounts to S/106 million 327 thousand 412.
However, the value of the projects granted by the MTC to Chinese companies, and which the Comptroller is investigating, exceeds S / 774 million 800 thousand.
The control body is also investigating eight other contracts signed by regional governments and the Ministry of Education during the same Castilist administration.
New ‘Club’
Comptroller Nelson Shack stated yesterday, given the possible distribution of works from the MTC revealed by Karelim López, that it cannot be ruled out that he is facing a new case of the Construction Club, alluding to the criminal network of companies that operated during the government of Ollanta Humala (2011-2016).
SIGHT: Company that won works in the MTC also did it in the Minem
In a press conference from Cusco, Shack indicated that the entity he directs has doubled the number of personnel assigned to his MTC office to intensify the audits of these contracts.
“It is perfectly possible that we will witness a new Construction Club case, or a new Lava Jato case; These are not isolated cases and, furthermore, they are repeated over time, which is why reforms are necessary”, he declared.
Keep in mind
-The Chinese companies, managed by the same country of China, previously contracted with the regional government of Junín during the management of Peru Libre, whose leader is the condemned Vladimir Cerrón.
-The contracts were signed under the command of the former Minister of Transport, Juan Silva, Castillo’s trusted man.
-Like Karelim López, Bruno Pacheco is being investigated by the Prosecutor’s Office.
