After the meeting between 5 of the 9 members of the board of directors of Ecopetrol with President Gustavo Petro – held this Wednesday, April 15 at Casa de Nariño -, former executives of the oil company began to spread the rumor that Ricardo Roa would suspend his vacations and license to rejoin the state company, at the request of the president.
They even claimed alleged discomfort among several board members with the acting president, Juan Carlos Hurtado, who in statements to the press given last week distanced himself from his predecessor. In fact, Roa must attend to a new criminal accusation against him on May 8, this time for violation of electoral limits of the Petro Presidente 2022-2026 campaign.
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The official version
Ecopetrol board of directors. Photo:Ecopetrol
Regarding the supposed early return of Roa, official sources of Ecopetrol and at least one of the board members who were with the president told EL TIEMPO that it is false and that the issue was not even raised.
“The President only wanted to talk about various issues of the oil company after the replacement of Dr. Roa. But the version is false that his vacation and leave would be suspended,” said the authorized source of the state company.
In fact, he confirmed that Hurtado himself was at Casa de Nariño and that this Thursday, April 16, he will give a press conference in which he will clarify this and other points.
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What’s behind it?
President Gustavo Petro and Ricardo Roa in campaign. Photo:Private file
“Tomorrow (Thursday), at 11:30 in the morning, Dr. Hurtado will talk about the issue with the media,” they added from Ecopetrol after EL TIEMPO called to validate the information.
And one of the board members limited himself to confirming the official version of the state company.
Earlier, EL TIEMPO revealed that the independent board members, Luis Felipe Henao and Ricardo Rodríguez, did not attend the meeting at Casa de Nariño. Neither did César Loza, from the USO, and Juan Gonzalo Castaño, one of those recently appointed by the Government.
About Castaño, sources of the Government said that his absence had drawn attention, as well as the record he left about Roa’s criminal situation.
In fact, The president described the board members as scared for having accepted the temporary departure of their bishop: “How can they think of offering the president of the largest company in the country and the President of the Republic himself on a platter just to scare the extreme right.”
This was the summons that reached the Board of Directors of Ecopetrol. Photo:THE TIME
EL TIEMPO established that Castaño was outside Bogotá and that Loza found out about the meeting at Casa de Nariño on Wednesday morning, when it had already started.
Voting pending
Juan Gonzalo Castaño, board member of Ecopetrol. Photo:Private file
Informed sources indicated that board members close to the Government have prevented Roa’s fate in the state from being defined by a vote of that collegiate body: “A 5 against 4 would leave Dr. Roa in an uncomfortable situation in the face of the new criminal accusation.”
On March 11, the Prosecutor’s Office charged Roa with influence peddling, related to the purchase of his luxurious apartment 901 -revealed by EL TIEMPO- and the link with former police officer Juan Guillermo Mancera, who would have sought millionaire contractual benefits in the state company.
Yes ok Roa has been emphatic in his complete innocence in both cases, the Prosecutor’s Office claims to have sufficient material evidence to criminally prosecute him.
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