Several councilors celebrated that the Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation against the former manager of Emcali, Juan Diego Flórez, and twelve other officials, for alleged irregularities found in the controversial contract with cost overruns, signed between the Municipal Companies and the Temporary Union AMI.
In dialogue with RCN Mundo, councilor Ana Erazo celebrated the decision of the control entity and specified that the most important thing, both of the Attorney General’s Office and the Comptroller General’s Office, was that they heard the complaint of the Caleños.
“We welcome the fact that at the end of September the control entities came to listen to the citizens of Cali in order to demonstrate the evidence they had of the alleged cases of corruption in Emcali. We celebrate that both the Attorney General’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office can finally start generating research spaces”said the councilor of the Polo Democrático.
The same way, Ana Erazo specified that she trusts the investigation that the supervisory body opened against the Municipal Companieseven stressed that he trusts that the investigation has been assumed by the Comptroller General of the Republic and not by the District Comptroller.
“We are waiting for what may result, but the simple fact of hearing, from the Comptroller, that there are alleged cases of corruption for more than 100 billion pesos, leaves us calm. We trust the national entity because the District Comptroller had generated mistrust and little legitimacy”added the councillor.
You may be interested in: Attorney General’s Office investigates former Emcali manager and 12 officials for contract scandal
Meanwhile, exclusively with RCN Radio, councilor Natalia Lasso, also welcomed the intervention of Emcali by the control entities because, according to her, The complaints for alleged irregularities date back to 2016.
“The control entities were in arrears with Emcali and with the resources of the Caleños. Since 2020, alleged irregularities in the planning and contracting of the company have been reported. In December 2021, when the Comptroller carried out an exceptional control, Fiscal findings had already been determined since 2016 for more than $17 billion, in agreements financed by resources from the National Council for Economic and Social Policy, Conpes, but despite the time, the motorcycle and the nature of the findings, corrective actions were not taken in time,” highlighted the councilor from the Colombia Justa y Libres party.
Also, he asserted that “From the Council we salute the diligence of the Attorney General’s Office, the Comptroller’s Office and now the Attorney General’s Office. We trust that they will continue to exercise their functions in the proper manner, that due process be given to each of those involved, and above all that the public resources of the people of Cali be taken care of.”
You may be interested in: Comptroller criminally denounces former manager of Emcali for controversial contract with cost overruns
On the other hand, through her Twitter account, the former councilor Diana Rojas specified that the intervention of the control entities in Emcali is completely historic.
“It is historic that the Comptroller General of the Republic himself investigates the hiring of the Mayor’s Office and Emcali, and both measures are a recognition of our complaints, because the ‘carousel’ of the Ospina brothers is much more serious than the Moreno brothers in Bogotá. Now Ospina is victimizing himself again, saying that we are harming his government, when he is the one who is harming the city,” said the former councilwoman.
Also read: They denounce that the mayor of Cali hired ‘influencers’ to improve his image
Sintraemcali reaction
The president of the Emcali Workers union, Sintraemcali, also applauded the intervention of the control entities.
“We are pleased that these investigation processes are moving forward, since it is what we have been demanding. in the face of the complaints that we have been advancing, seeking the protection of the public heritage of the people of Cali”assured the president of the Union.
In the same way, he asked the entities to vehemently continue the investigations so that everything is clear and clear the name of the most important company for the people of Cali.
“We again call on these control bodies to continue with the investigations and that if there is merit to condemn or judge, that it be done in such a way that the facts are clarified and that those involved pay. Otherwise, let them be acquitted, but let things be clear. We want the name of Emcali to be clear and that each of the actions and actions of the officials be prosecuted, ”he said.
Also read: Comptroller assumes surveillance and control over contracting of the Mayor of Cali
Criminal complaint
It should be remembered that the Comptroller General of the Nation also filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General of the Nation against the former manager of Emcali, various officials, because, according to the supervisory body, the defendants were in charge of reviewing the elaboration of the agreement that cost 21.5.879 million pesos to the public coffers.
It is to be noted that the supervisory body also filed a criminal complaint against Juan Camilo Osa Hoyos, legal representative of the Temporary Union AMI.
