A shortfall of US$ 163 thousand (7 million pesos) and a possible case of tax fraud that occurred in the previous government in the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) is investigated by the Prosecutor for Economic Crimes, in charge of the prosecutor Enrique Rodríguez, and has nine people investigatedincluding two former directors of Culture from the Frente Amplio period, Hugo Achugar and Sergio Mautonereported El País.
Prosecutor Rodríguez explained to The Observer that at this moment the statements of those involved are being takenwho will all attend with lawyers as investigatedin order to give more guarantees in the process.
El País reported that one of the matters investigated is a tax fraud carried out through the Cultural Incentive Fund (FIC), an instrument through which companies that pay the Income Tax on Economic Activities (IRAE) can contribute money to a cultural event (tour, show, printing of a book, among others) in exchange for a discount on the payment of taxes.
This mechanism is handled by the National Council for the Evaluation and Promotion of Artistic Cultural Projects (Conaef), which grants companies the DGI certificates that allow tax deduction for an amount of the donation made.
In this organization, the lack of US$ 163,000 was verified, and it was verified that the organization had delivered certificates to some companies before they made the deposit of the donation.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the case has been active for more than a yearbut it had already been investigated by Rodríguez in the previous administration. In the first instance, the case was archivedbut with the arrival of the current administration of the MEC a complaint was made with more evidence, and the investigation was resumed.
After gathering more information, the nine involved were reached, and after their statements more information will continue to be requested from the organizations involved, detailed from the Prosecutor’s Office.
Meanwhile, deputies Felipe Schipani and Álvaro Dastugue presented a motion to summon the Minister of Education and Culture, Pablo da Silveira, to the Education Commission of the Chamber of Deputies to provide explanations of the case.
