Prosecutor’s office analyzes annual damage of $ 25 million in accident insurance

Ecuadornews:

The Anticorruption and Road Justice Commission filed the complaint when it found that a supposed medical audit company was overbilling documents. That company apparently was made up of former public officials

The Prosecutor’s Office analyzes a supposed corruption network that operated in the previous Mandatory Traffic Accident Insurance (SOAT) and in the current Public System for the Payment of Traffic Accidents (SPPAT).

The Anticorruption and Road Justice Commission filed the complaint on August 4,2017 against the Beleoma medical audit company, which allegedly used false documents to benefit from the medical audit process. Guillermo Abad, director of Road Justice, said that they came to this company for another company, which curiously won all the medical audit contests. Therefore, in the sixth process,the contest was deserted and this company, supposedly, created a second, Beleome, to adjudicate the audit process.

In the Superintendence of Companies, Beleoma was registered with headquarters in Portoviejo (Manabí), and the company was registered on March 13, 2012 for the sale, representation, installation and maintenance of medical equipment. The shareholders include Manuel N. with a capital of $ 225,000 and Miguel P. with $75,000.

The Prosecutor’s Office investigates these people. According to Abad, it isestimated that in January next year charges will be brought to those involved,including ex-employees of the current SPPAT.

He believes that they had committed falsification of documents, as well asembezzlement, since in a new investigation an alleged overbilling was found between 30% and 40% of the audit documents. The damage to the State would be between $ 20 million and $ 25 million annually.

These problems arose from 2013 to 2016. However, Abad explained that this company,which carried out between 40,000 and 50,000 audits, was made up of former SPPAT employees. They were those who approved state payments to private clinics.

Abad explained that a person entered a clinic with a broken finger, but billed as hew as in intensive care. According to Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Anticorruption Commission, this company in “conspiracy with certain clinics tripled and quadrupled the costs.” In his opinion, he was the”intermediary administrator of the state fund” and the investigations determined that “they obtained the contract and were the judge and part of the compensation”.

The lawyer Iván Valenzuela explained that more than 14 people surrendered the version, with the exception of Biz marc M. and Rommel C., former SPPAT officials. He requested that these people attend “under prevention”,since it is the second time they do not attend.

This newspaper tried to communicate with Beleome, but until the closing of the edition there was no response. The web (www.beleoma.med.ec) that appears in the Superintendency does not exist. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/judicial/12/fiscalia-perjuicio-anual-soat-accidentes