The Ministry of Finance investigates the Possible loss of a computer belonging to Maria Alejandra Benavides, advisor to the head of the portfolio, Ricardo Bonilla, with whom she is involved in the corruption scandal at the National Risk Management Unit (UNGRD).
“Immediately after the possible loss of the item was identified, the entity activated the search protocol in the inventory and access control systems for items. Officials of the entity filed the respective complaint, for the possible loss of the item, before the competent authorities.“the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
(See: Corruption at UNGRD: missing memory cards and hard drives reported).
He also explained that he was removed from the Ministry “The user who was in charge of the computer, the information security policies were applied, so their permissions and access to the information systems were deactivated.“.
“The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit has backups and data backup for all users assigned to the Ministry. It is noted that all institutional information stored on the computer is hosted on the Ministry’s backup servers.“, the information added.
In chats with the former deputy director of Disaster Management at UNGRD Sneyder Pinilla, published on Wednesday, July 17 by Caracol News, It shows how Bonilla supposedly coordinated the Delivery of 3 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.
(See: Chats revealed implicating the Ministry of Finance in corruption scandal at UNGRD).
Ricardo Bonilla, Minister of Finance.
Bonilla, Benavides and the scandal
The scandal at UNGRD began when it was revealed, in February, 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 used for Paying 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 President Gustavo Petro’s social reforms.
(See: The UNGRD director’s proposal to allocate resources to the regions).
According to the report of Caracol News, It all started on December 11th, when Bonilla signed a resolution with which the Ministry of Finance disbursed 700 billion pesos (about 175 million dollars) to the UNGRD.
This entity was then going to sign three contracts for 92 billion pesos (about 23 million dollars) for works in the municipalities of Cotorra and Carmen de Bolívar, and in Saravena, border town with Venezuela.
In one of the conversations, the minister told Pinilla that he was “concerned” about the fate of the resources from the “viable projects.”
(See: The Prosecutor’s Office requested hearings against former UNGRD executives).
Later, the former deputy director of UNGRD contacted María Alejandra Benavides, Bonilla’s advisor, who asked the former official of the Unit to inform the intermediaries that the contracts were going to be moved through that entity.
For it, The mayors of the aforementioned municipalities had to declare false calamities with which they sought to justify the contracts, which were ultimately not signed because when they were about to do so the tank truck scandal broke out, leading to the resignation of Pinilla and the then director of UNGRD, Olmedo López, in February.
EFE
