Saúl Kattan Cohen, senior presidential advisor for Digital Transformation in the government of Gustavo Petro, and who held at least three more high dignities during that administration, has just officially come under the spotlight of criminal, fiscal and disciplinary justice.
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO obtained for the first time evidence according to which, after a forensic audit ordered by ISA of its subsidiary Internexa – of which Kattan was manager and member of the board -, The instruction was given to report him in a case that involves everything from pressure from Casa de Nariño to seal two technological megaprojects, to the intervention in one of these by the Catalan Manel Grau, the friend of the first lady Verónica Alcocer and Petro himself.
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Criminal complaint and transfer to the Comptroller’s Office
The then Minister of Science with Gustavo Petro, and to the right, Saúl Kattan. Photo:Presidency of the Republic
In fact, while the Catalan was moving businesses and positions in various State entities – in the name of the first lady Verónica Alcocer -, in Internexa Two million-dollar projects were being cooked over high heat that Petro was promoting in networks and in meetings in the Palace, while Kattan did the same from the Isa subsidiary, dedicated to the provision of comprehensive telecommunications and technology services.
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO had first access to sections of the forensic audit where, in addition to Petro, Kattan and Grau, Jorge Carrillo is mentioned, the president of Isa whose election was later annulled by the Council of State for not meeting experience and suitability requirements.
The information found was enough so that, on August 4 – when Petro’s four-year term was about to expire -, The representative of Internexa denounced Kattan before the Attorney General’s Office for the crimes of unfair administration, execution of contracts without compliance with legal requirements and undue interest in the execution of the same.
And on October 16, he delivered all the information to the comptroller general, Jorge Laverde, so that property detriments and fiscal responsibilities are established.
In dialogue with EL TIEMPO, Saúl Kattan not only declared himself surprised by the complaints but was also emphatic that he acted transparently, in accordance with the law and that it is a strategy to put an end to Internexa. For this reason, he already announced that he will exercise his defense: “They want to make a scandal where there is none” (see attached note on the subject).
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The Bio-Cloud and Big Data
The evidence that Kattan held the position of director and, at the same time, manager of Internexa. Photo:Presidency of the Republic
In any case, the first evidence left in the forensic audit is that Carrillo insisted on the appointment of Kattan as manager of Internexa, despite the fact that a clear conflict of interest had been noted, which the latter still denies.
Kattan, who had already been on the board of Ecopetrol, had a contract with Dapre, to advise Petro on public policies on cybersecurity, data management, artificial intelligence, connectivity and special topics.
The letter in which Isa and Internexa inform the comptroller Jorge Laverde of the events. Photo:THE TIME
In fact, Kattan himself agreed that, in the event that a conflict of interest arose, “in each particular situation he would inform so that it could be taken into account in the corresponding decision.”
The point is that he landed at Internexa as a board member and manager in charge and began to make internal modifications to advance projects, specifically the Bio-Cloud and Big Data for the Colombian State (BEC).
Some of these adjustments are classified in the audit as a clear violation of controls to make decisions autonomously and bypass corporate governance.
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With copy to Manel Grau
The Catalan Manel Grau and the then first lady Verónica Alcocer. Photo:express
Although – after efforts and alarms from Isa and alerts from the Attorney General’s Office and EL TIEMPO -, The Bio-Cloud mega contract was stopped without public resources being touched -, in the case of the BEC, a juicy disbursement was made that is under the magnifying glass.
What would criminally entangle Kattan (and other alleged parties) is the traceability that was documented in which, among other points, The trace of the Catalan Grau appears and the alleged use of privileged information to put together the Bio-Cloud offer, valued at 630 billion pesos.
In both matters the paths They lead to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Minciencias), at that time in the hands of Yesenia Olaya.
Jorge Andrés Carrillo, appointed manager of EPM during the administration of Daniel Quintero. Photo:EPM-
The EL TIEMPO Investigative Unit established for the first time that in September, Jorge Andrés Carrillo received an invitation from Claudia Consuelo Cepeda Benito, director of Technological Development and Innovation at Minciencias, with a copy to Manel Grau, to participate in an institutional visit to Abu Dhabi within the framework of the Bio-Nube project.
“Grau was at one of the meetings at Minciencias in which the project was discussed and in which Kattan was present. In addition, the Catalan was investigating the matter in the United Arab Emirates,” an informed source told EL TIEMPO.
The concrete thing is that That same month, that portfolio and Ecopetrol signed an understanding agreement to launch that project.
The audit indicates that while Kattan participated in the discussion of the matter, using the email address of a senior advisor to the Presidency, he wrote to his subordinates in another message: “I still think it is poorly structured and unviable for Ecopetrol, but they must make the decision.”
Gustavo Petro knows Saúl Kattan from his mayoralty in Bogotá. Photo:THE TIME
However, already at Internexa – while Petro continued to promote the project with guidelines and tweets on networks – Kattan assumed leadership, after Ecopetrol rejected him. “due to the lack of strategic fit and non-compliance with the required financial criteria.”
Then Central de Inversiones SA (Cisa) appeared as a strategic partner, where the Catalan Grau (already with Colombian nationality expressly granted by Petro), had a seat on the board of directors.
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Information leak?
The then minister Yesenia Olaya and Gustavo Petro Photo:Presidency
And here comes a piece of information that is classified as alleged privileged access to non-public information.
Without the Minciencias having yet launched any public call, On September 24, 2025, Kattan presented a new project structure: Ecopetrol partially financed, the Minciencias also partially financed through the General Royalties System; CISA acquired and developed the land and Huawei would be the supplier of the modules that make up the data centers and some of the equipment.
“Despite the fact that the Internexa board of directors had not approved the Bio-Nube project, nor any of its counterparts, including BEC, on November 14, 2025 The then general manager of InterNexa, Saúl Kattan, without consultation, presented his proposal to Call 046 of the General Royalties System called “Intelligent Colombia: Infrastructure for the development of artificial intelligence“, reads the audit, to which EL TIEMPO had exclusive access.
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO has already revealed that An attempt was made to get CISA (with the Catalan on board) to participate in the business of seized gold mining titles and in the management of crude oil received through royalty payments.
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The turn of Big Data
Jorge Carrillo, for Isa, and Ricardo Roa, for Ecopetrol, were at Bio-Cloud meetings. Photo:Presidency of the Republic
At the time, Kattan He told EL TIEMPO that he had a legal concept that indicated that authorization from the board was not required to participate in those projects. Furthermore, his departure from Internexa was without just cause at a time when he was promoting key businesses.
The point is that, without giving details, the audit states that “Carrillo informed members of the Internexa board that he had lost complete confidence in Kattan and that therefore he was going to propose the removal of his position as manager.” Indeed, on February 2, 2026, it was decided to dismiss him.
In addition to this background, Internexa, following instructions from Isa, also requests that a disbursement that was made in the Big Data business be investigated.
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Disbursements
Saúl Kattan, outgoing manager of Internexa; and Jorge Carrillo. Photo:EL TIEMPO/ Private Archive
Regarding the Big Data project, internal documents indicate that, in order to avoid the materialization of greater damage, the ISA board approved recommending to the Internexa board the early termination of the project BEC in session on August 28, 2026.
And at the beginning of September it was agreed not to execute the BEC project and not to ratify the decisions made by Saúl Kattan’s administration.
In addition, the legal advice of a law firm was hired to accompany the structuring and implementation of the litigation legal strategy in civil, commercial and/or corporate matters that allows protecting the interests of Internexa and obtain, when appropriate, the restitution of money and full compensation for any damage suffered by the entity.
The criminal complaint for the events associated with BEC has already been presented to the Prosecutor’s Office. While the investigation is underway, Kattan is emphatic that all his actions are transparent and that he will demonstrate this to the authorities.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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