By Lency Alcántara
Hugo Beras, former director of the Institute of Traffic and Land Transportation (INTRANT), is the backbone of an alleged corruption network revealed this Wednesday by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption, a body that investigates the irregularities of the contract signed between the institution and the company Transcore Latam, SRL.
The arrest warrant issued against the former official and shares explains that he diverted funds so that the company chaired by Jochy Gómez could obtain absolute control of the Traffic Light Network.
READ: Hugo Beras says “he tried to avoid” what is happening with Intrant-Transcore Latam
«Hugo Beras Goico Ramírez, promoted the mechanism of providing funds from another institution, who prepared to manage the necessary funds for financial support through the Administrative Ministry of the Presidency, assigning them RD$1,200,000,000.00 from IDAC; “It was verified that by instructions from Mr. Hugo Beras Goico Ramírez, all administrative actions were initiated at the INTRANT headquarters for the execution of the contracting process,” the ordinance explains.
The accusation is supported by audits carried out by the General Directorate of Purchasing and Contracting and the General Comptroller’s Office of the Republic, where the alleged overvaluation of the contract is verified.
Revealing that the cost of the traffic light network modernization project was originally 104 million pesos, this amount was increased without justification to 1,200 million, an increase of 1,053%.
“This change was made by the Planning and Development Directorate, directed by Erzsike Giselle Bobadilla Zimmermann, under the direct command of Hugo Beras,” the arrest warrant states.
He also adds that Jochi Gómez “He was the main beneficiary of the fraudulent contracts, through three companies, through which he fraudulently controlled the traffic light and surveillance systems.”
