The Comptroller’s Office ‘revives’ the Caminosca case

Ecuadornews:

The Office of the Comptroller confirmed the presumption of possible criminal offenses in two of the most scandalous cases of corruption, detected in the government of Rafael Correa, and involving the firm Caminosca and the pre-sales of crude oil to Petrochina and Unipec.

Those two files are already in court but there was a limitation in the tax investigation: there was no report with indications of criminal responsibility. This document opens the door to investigate, for example, alleged embezzlement or illicit enrichment.

Yesterday, the surrogate controller, Pablo Celi, said that “there are reports with criminal responsibility in both cases.”

This new element could take the investigation of the Caminosca case out of lethargy, which, according to the members of the Citizen Anticorruption Commission, “sleeps on the laurels”. Last week, they went to the Prosecutor’s Office to demand answers. That entity investigates the alleged payment of bribes in exchange for contracts, reported by EXPRESO, in 2017.

Caminosca had, at least, 13 contracts with the State, mostly in the strategic sectors. It was linked from road construction to hydroelectric power plants and the Quito Metro. The contract that the Comptroller’s Office objects to has to do with the execution of the Pascuales-Cuenca pipeline project with Petroecuador.

The previous year, the control entity determined that the state oil company “has paid a value of 126.5 million dollars to enable the construction of the aforementioned project due to deficiencies in the designs prepared by the consulting firm Caminosca S.A.”.

What were these inconsistencies?

According to the audit report, there were technical errors that cost 41.2 million. Activities aimed at meeting technical and safety standards implied an exit of 10.6 million. The undervaluation of work quantities caused a loss of 72.7 million. And, it was also necessary to contract studies that guarantee the safety of the poliduct facilities for 1.8 million.

In August, these “errors” earned Caminosca a gloss for $ 126 million, according to press reports. Then the criminal evidence was confirmed. The case of crude pre-sales is more recent.

Until last week, the attorney general, Carlos Baca Mancheno, said there were no indications of criminal responsibility. Therefore, he was investigating possible bribery, money laundering, influence peddling or concussion. He even received the version of former President Correa, on Monday in Guayaquil. He, as he told this newspaper, disclaimed any responsibility and assured that the pre-sales did not cause injury to the State.

The complainants claim that the country lost about 2,000 million dollars with this mechanism. The Comptroller’s Office has just expanded the range of research.

The Alvarado businesses will also be reviewed 

The accounts of the brothers Vinicio and Fernando Alvarado Espinel – two of the officials closest to the former president of the Republic, Rafael Correa – are at the top of the priorities of the auditors of the Comptroller General. They are investigated in two ways.

A report by the Financial Analysis Unit, released last week, focused on the personal finances of the two former employees who in 10 years had revenues of $ 2.2 million in their accounts and 155 million in a company.

The Comptroller’s Office will try to unravel the web of the businesses of the companies related to the Alvarado. According to the comptroller, Pablo Celi, a set of exams has been initiated covering “the totality of contracts of several companies with a set of entities at a national level” with the central government, but also with local governments. There will be 14 companies and 75 public entities investigated. This revision is added to the review of its patrimonial declarations, since 2011. The other front that involves the Alvarado brothers has to do with its management in the National Secretariat of Communication (Secom).

A first report with criminal responsibilities, related to the execution of the Citizen Links, has already been sent to the Office of the Prosecutor. You have to see, explained the comptroller without giving details, with unjustified hiring, products not received in the appropriate form and even with possible falsifications of documents.

The control actions, the official announced, will be expanded considering all the contracts that “should be audited and the operations that Secom has carried out.”

A long list of involved 

The list of high officials of the Government of Rafael Correa involved in irregularities or possible crimes continues to grow at the hands of the Comptroller. Pablo Celi, who replaced Carlos Pólit (fugitive in Miami for his alleged participation in the corruption plot of Odebrecht) in June, has put a face to the allegations of corruption.

The last to join, as published yesterday EXPRESO, are the former finance ministers, Patricio Rivera and Fausto Herrera who were glossed with $ 77.2 million for having paid the IESS with government bonds. That is prohibited by law.

In the list of appointed by the Comptroller are from former Vice President Jorge Glas and the former IESS, Richard Espinosa. For them the dismissal was requested. Former Minister Iván Espinel and the Secretary of Reconstruction, Carlos Bernal, who were also part of this Government, resigned following the dissemination of reports that linked them to irregularities in the IESS and to resources not justified in their patrimonial declaration, respectively.

The dismissal ordered against Superintendent Carlos Ochoa and the gloss issued against the ex-Minister of the Environment, Marcela Aguiñaga, is in process. The accounts of the brothers Vinicio and Fernando Alvarado Espinel – two of the officials closest to the former president of the Republic, Rafael Correa – are at the top of the priorities of the auditors of the Comptroller General, they are investigated in two ways.

A report by the Financial Analysis Unit, released last week, focused on the personal finances of the two former employees who in 10 years had revenues of $ 2.2 million in their accounts and 155 million in a company.

The Comptroller’s Office will try to unravel the web of the businesses of the companies related to the Alvarado. According to the comptroller, Pablo Celi, a set of exams has been initiated covering “the totality of contracts of several companies with a set of entities at a national level” with the central government, but also with local governments.

There will be 14 companies and 75 public entities investigated. This revision is added to the review of its patrimonial declarations, since 2011. The other front that involves the Alvarado brothers has to do with its management in the National Secretariat of Communication (Secom).

A first report with criminal responsibilities, related to the execution of the Citizen Links, has already been sent to the Office of the Prosecutor. You have to see, explained the comptroller without giving details, with unjustified hiring, products not received in the appropriate form and even with possible falsifications of documents. The control actions, the official announced, will be expanded considering all the contracts that “should be audited and the operations that Secom has carried out.”

The list of high officials of the Government of Rafael Correa involved in irregularities or possible crimes continues to grow at the hands of the Comptroller. Pablo Celi, who replaced Carlos Pólit (fugitive in Miami for his alleged participation in the corruption plot of Odebrecht) in June, has put a face to the allegations of corruption. The last to join, as published yesterday EXPRESO, are the former finance ministers, Patricio Rivera and Fausto Herrera who were glossed with $ 77.2 million for having paid the IESS with government bonds. That is prohibited by law.

In the list of appointed by the Comptroller are from former Vice President Jorge Glas and the former IESS, Richard Espinosa. For them the dismissal was requested. Former Minister Iván Espinel and the Secretary of Reconstruction, Carlos Bernal, who were also part of this Government, resigned following the dissemination of reports that linked them to irregularities in the IESS and to resources not justified in their patrimonial declaration, respectively.

The dismissal ordered against Superintendent Carlos Ochoa and the gloss issued against the ex-Minister of the Environment, Marcela Aguiñaga, is in process. (I)

Source: http://www.expreso.ec/actualidad/contraloria-corrupcion-petrochina-caminosca-MA2013790