The Minister of Sports of the government of Abelardo De La Espriella, Juliana Gutiérrez, assured that between August 5 and 6, just two days before Gustavo Petro left the Casa de Nariño, 22 contracts were signed in that portfolio for more than 953 million pesos.
And he explained that in 19 of the processes there was not enough justification to hire more personnel, that they found repeated functions and that there were departments of the Sports portfolio to which contractors were being assigned that they had not even requested. Therefore, it was decided to cancel those contracts and bring the facts to the attention of the Attorney General’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Comptroller’s Office.
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The Resources Directorate
One of the previous studies signed by former official Ketty Arias. Photo:Private file
Although it did not give more details about the contracts under scrutiny, the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO established that for the dates indicated by the minister (August 5 and 6), At least 23 contracts were signed for 993 million pesos, all through direct contracting and for the provision of services.
Among the most valuable is the one assigned to the lawyer María José Mengual Velásquez for 60 million pesos to provide services in the Directorate of Resources and Tools of the National Sports System (SND), providing legal support to the minister’s office in addressing matters of special importance or complexity of the entity. The contract was awarded on August 6 and had until December 31.
The other one with the highest value on the list, also for 60 million pesos, was awarded to the engineer María Fernanda Corrales Figueroa, to provide professional administrative support services. for the management and monitoring of public investment projects by the Directorate of Resources and Tools of the National Sports System (SND).
And also appears that of the engineer Milder José Mengua Velásquez, for 50 million to provide services in the evaluation, guidance and technical support in the activities corresponding to the cycle of public investment projects, which is under the Directorate of Resources and Tools of the SND.
This newspaper contacted both the Mengual Velásquez and Corrales to ask them how they reached the contracts and about Minister Gutiérrez’s statements in which she assured that there was no justification to advance the processes. but at the close of this edition they had not responded.
However, this newspaper established that in those contracts, as in at least 13 others on the list signed two days before the Petro government expired, The justifications and previous studies to structure the processes appear signed by the same official.
This is Ketty Arias Ruidíaz, who at that time served as director in charge of the SND Resources and Tools Directorate.
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Personnel deficit
Lawyer Ketty Arias. Photo:Social networks
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO contacted lawyer Arias to ask her about the procedure to justify the contracts that the minister says were not necessary.
“These service provision contracts were drawn up due to the relevance of the need. I sign because at that time I was in charge of the Resources and Tools Directorate after Dr. Karol Gómez resigned from that department”Arias explained.
And he added: “Between 15 and 20 contracts were structured and, before resigning, the director had filed a letter in which she stated that in that department they could not cope with the workload due to a lack of personnel for the activities that had to be carried out, such as the execution and liquidation of solidarity agreements.the evaluation of sports infrastructure projects and other administrative functions that depended on the Directorate of Resources and Tools.”
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Same functions?
President Abelardo de la Espriella and Juliana Gutiérrez. Photo:SOCIAL NETWORKS
When asked why Minister Juliana Gutiérrez claimed that there were repeated functions in the hiring, she explained that for some solidarity agreements it was necessary to hire several people for the same function.
“For example, regarding solidarity agreements, I am not going to place a person in charge of the settlement of an agreement, I have to place several people who have to perform that same function. I don’t understand why they have to go out and demonize or distort things that were necessary at that time within the entity.” Arias explained.
And he concluded by explaining that many contracts did not meet execution requirements: “Some practically did not come out into legal life.”
The official assured that for now no authority has called her to explain the structuring of the processes, but he said that he has all the documentation to argue for those contracts.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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