Arnaldo Giuzzio, coordinator of the Covid-19 Special Purchasing Control Commission. Photo: The Nation.
With the appointment of Édgar Melgarejo, once again it is revealed that in June 2020 the Purchasing Supervision Commission, chaired by Arnaldo Giuzzio, presented a report in which it ensures that there was no patrimonial damage in the failed purchase of medicines and supplies within the framework of the fight against Covid-19.
The Covid Purchasing Supervision Commission, then chaired by Arnaldo Giuzzio and made up of René Fernández, saw no irregularities and therefore considered that there was no patrimonial damage to the Paraguayan State with the scandalous Covid shopping.
This conclusion, highly questioned when it was released in 2020, is once again refloated as a result of the recent designation of the United States to Édgar Melgarejoformer director of the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dinac), who “embezzled public funds for personal benefit,” according to the US indictment.
In that sense, remarkably Giuzzio’s commission He did not see these irregularities in Dinac with public purchasestaking into account that Melgarejo was removed from office after uncovering the scandal of the acquisition of the gold plugs
It is worth remembering that the commission led by Giuzzio was in charge of analyzing the Covid purchases and that concluded do not recommend including the research to Edgar Melgarejo and Raúl Silva for the alleged influence that they carried out for the State to adjudicate the purchases to the Ferreira clan.
At the time, the intervening authorities excused themselves, alleging that the irregular purchases of face masks at the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dinac) and of tonic water at Petropar were made with genuine funds, so they did not properly speak of Covid purchases.
Related note: Purchase of inputs: commission concludes that there was no economic loss or patrimonial damage
Possible overbilling of masks
According to the website of the National Directorate of Public Procurement (DNCP), the contracting was carried out through exception No. 10/2020, “Acquisition of Protection Masks for Dinac in the framework of the health emergency by COVID-19 ” ID No. 382262.
According to Posted by The NationIn this framework, 4,000 units of masks were purchased. Dinac would pay for each of them the sum of G. 29,990, which would import a total of G. 119,960,000, according to contract No. 12/2020 dated March 27, 2020.
In the specifications and conditions, Dinac indicates that the masks to be purchased must be, among other characteristics, of the “PFF2 S” type, a medical input that in the national market and at the cost of sale to the public would have an average value per unit of G. 15,000.
Melgarejo’s position
Édgar Melgarejo, exitular of the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dinac), who was appointed by the United States Government together with Jorge Bogarín of the Council of the Magistracy and Vicente Andrés Ferreira of the Judiciary, rejected the accusations against him.
In an interview with ABC TV, Édgar Melgarejo stated that he was surprised by the announcement made by the United States Embassy, which declared it significantly corrupt.
“I take with surprise. I don’t know the underlying arguments. I’m going to take up the defense. There is little to be gleaned from what the US Ambassador said about embezzlement. I am going to resort with my lawyers to the embassy to internalize myself. I am not oblivious to justice investigating me. It is a statement that surprises me, I do not know what specific fact it refers to, ”he commented.
Melgarejo maintained that He does not know if the case is related to his judicial process for the purchase of the “golden masks”. “I hope that it can be determined that there has been conduct with criminal relevance. I reject the existence of acts of corruption. That statement is false, it is not correct. In justice, it will be determined if there is no contamination and interference from anyone, ”he explained.
Related note: The United States withdraws the visa of three public officials
