The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) issued a report -dated September 29- with observations to the Municipality of Maipú -directed since June 2021 by the mayor Thomas Vodanović (RD)-, regarding the payment owed by a contractor company -contracted under the management of Cathy Barriga-, whose amount exceeds $247 million pesos. The agency gave the building 30 days to repay the money.
Specifically, the Comptroller verified that the company Santa Sofía Ltda, in charge of the work “Design, Construction or Assembly of Ponds and Execution of Complementary Works, PD 2017-2018, Module C”, owes an amount of $247,851,097 pesos after contract settlement.
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“The problems in the execution of the contract began to become evident once the contractual term expired, that is, on August 21, 2021, according to what is indicated in the works book, in which it was registered in mid-September 2021. same year, few personnel in the execution of the tasks, theft of wiring and, finally, the abandonment of the work by the contractor, on October 29 of the same year”, pointed out from the comptroller body.
According to the CGR, through mayoral decree No. 2,881, of 2021, the liquidation of the contract carried out by the Municipal Works Directorate (DOM) was approved. “Through said administrative act, the valuation of the works executed by the contractor and not paid to date, the discount of fines applied by the technical unit and, finally, discounts for items stolen and withdrawn by the contractor were established,” they said. .
Observations and term of 30 days
The controlling body pointed out that the Municipality of Maipú, when consulted on the matter, “did not prove the adoption of measures or initiated actions in order to compensate the damage caused to the municipal heritage and pursue the pecuniary responsibility of the contractor.”
In relation to the early termination of the contract and the amounts owed by the contractor, the Comptroller detected that the municipality “did not collect the policy for faithful performance of the contract, issued by the company Suaval Seguros SA for an amount of 3,880.80 UF, which had a maturity date of November 7, 2021”.
“The situations described did not comply with the principles of efficiency, effectiveness, affordability and control that govern the State Administration bodies, established in articles 3 and 5 of Law No. 18,575, failing to comply with the duty of to the authorities and officials for the efficient and suitable administration of public resources”, they pointed out from the Comptroller’s Office.
To correct what was observed, the municipality indicated that it filed a lawsuit for breach of contract with compensation for damages against the company Santa Sofía Ltda.
The municipality “added that it filed a claim with the Financial Market Commission for non-payment of an insurance policy against Suaval Compañía de Seguros SA,” the CGR report states.
Finally, the Comptroller’s Office indicated that the Municipality of Maipú “must prove the effective collection of the $ 247,851,097 and the entry of said sum into municipal coffers, within a period of 30 business days, counted from the receipt of this document.”
Let us remember that the management of Cathy Barriga in Maipú has been in the eye of the hurricane due to different reports issued by the Comptroller. At the end of August, the CGR estimated the deficit in the Municipal Corporation at $31. In another recent document, it detected $872 million in expenses to 46 service providers not adjusted to the law. The latter during 2020.
