The Presidency of the Republic He reported that Two contractors from the administration of an official who left after a corruption case was uncovered They handed over their computers without hard drives and others without internal memory.
(See: Chats revealed implicating the Ministry of Finance in corruption scandal at UNGRD).
They were officials of the Presidential Council for the Regions, from whose direction came Sandra Ortiz a few weeks ago after the allegations that linked her to the corruption scandal of the National Disaster Risk Management Unit (UNGRD).
“In recent days, during the delivery to the new administration of the Regional Council, two incomplete computers were received: one without a hard drive and another without memory, assigned to contractors of the team of this department.“the Presidency denounced in a statement.
The Presidency is “Reviewing the information collected and awaiting progress in order to, if necessary, proceed with actions in accordance with the law and give course to the relevant entities.“.
(See: The UNGRD director’s proposal to allocate resources to the regions).
This is being reported at a time when former director of UNGRD Olmedo López, named by President Gustavo Petro, and the Former Deputy Director of Disaster Management at UNGRD Sneyder Pinilla They will be formally charged next week by the Prosecutor’s Office for actions taken during their administration.
Sandra Ortiz.
Corruption scandal
The scandal at UNGRD began when it was revealed, in February 2024, the alleged embezzlement of 46.8 billion pesos (about 11.7 million dollars) in the purchase of 40 tanker trucks to bring drinking water to desert areas of the Caribbean department of La Guajira.
Added to this is the revelation that Money from that entity was apparently used to pay bribes to the presidents of the Senate, Iván Name (Green Alliance), and the House of Representatives, Andrés Calle (Liberal Party), and other congressmen in exchange for support in Congress for the social reforms proposed by Petro.
(See: The Prosecutor’s Office requested hearings against former UNGRD executives).
Other officials are also believed to be involved in this scheme, such as Ortiz, who was a regional advisor, a position that reports directly to the President.
But also, in recent days Caracol News revealed information released by López and Pinilla, in which they implicate other members of the Government, such as Finance Minister Ricardo Bonilla.
Ricardo Bonilla, Minister of Finance.
In some of Pinilla’s chats it is shown how, supposedly, Bonilla He coordinated the delivery of three contracts for 92 billion pesos (about 23 million dollars) which were intended to benefit six congressmen so that they would support the expansion of the Government’s debt limit.
In addition, Lopez also said in a statement he gave last month to investigators of the Supreme Court of Justice that the guerrilla of National Liberation Army (ELN) is involved in the corruption scandal of that entity.
(See: Comptroller’s Office found irregularities of $5 billion in more than 31 UNGRD contracts).
In that sense, Lopez spoke of a “A network that includes everything from ministers to contractors“to award contracts to the guerrillas so that they would stop kidnapping, something that the government delegation in the peace talks has denied.
Lopez and Pinilla are expected to be brought before the court next week for hear the charges at the beginning of the trial of which it is until now the biggest corruption scandal of the Petro government.
EFE
