Last Wednesday, the Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Lara Restrepo, announced that he had just filed a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office, with a copy to the Attorney General’s Office, the Comptroller’s Office and the Transparency Secretariat of the presidency, for alleged irregularities in contracts of the Fire Department.
This is the second scandal, in less than a week, that has been recorded in that entity in less than four days. In fact, after President Abelardo De La Espriella ordered that Captain Germán Miranda be declared insubsistent – due to some compromising audio recordings –, His minister spoke of irregularities amounting to nearly $62,000 million.
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The report to the Prosecutor’s Office
Rodrigo Lara and Abelardo de la Espriella. Photo:X: @Rodrigo_Lara_
The Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO had access to one of the reports that reached the control agencies, where they appear the names of four companies to which the previous government awarded juicy contracts in full guarantee law.
And although the million-dollar contract was covered by the winter emergency, due to the cold front that hit 8 departments, there is evidence that they were subsequently subscribed.
The second finding, which the authorities will have to evaluate, is that of the money transferred, only 313 million pesos (barely 0.5 percent) was used for the purposes of the environmental emergency, while the rest was invested in fire suits and other equipment, which in some cases do not appear in the warehouses of the fire department.
In fact, this newspaper established that the Uiaf was asked to track the monies disbursed and the National Electoral Council (CNE) crossing contractors with contributors to the 2026 campaigns.
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The favored ones
Makei’s contract with the Fire Department. Photo:Private file
The only company that Lara mentioned was Makei Soluciones y Asesorías SAS, for 24,000 million pesos, but the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO located the other three.
This is Multisolutions América SAS, for 25,698 million pesos, with an addition included; Fonina SAS Representations, for 11,000 million pesos; and Chemical Representations of Colombia, for 1,415 million.
All contracts were signed on March 26 by direct contracting and the objective is the same: to deliver personal protection kits for attention and control of structural and forest fires, and elements to respond to emergencies due to floods in the country.
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Headquarters: Barranquilla
Armando Benedetti once again left open the possibility of running for Mayor of Barranquilla. Photo:THE TIME
Makei, located in Barranquilla, is dedicated to non-specialized wholesale trade, the manufacture of motor vehicles and electrical installations. Your manager and sole shareholder is Ángela María Infante Barrios, who told this newspaper that Lara’s claims are false.
“We are already with our legal team evaluating what actions to take due to reputational damage. We are the largest importer in the country and the only ones with inventory to attend to these types of emergencies. The deliveries were made and there are videos”assured Infante Barrios.
And he denied having made contributions to campaigns. In addition, he said that they reached the contract at an invitation from Secop. He even said that not all teams They were to address floods because the Petro government decree said that climate variability had to be addressed.
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Two connected firms
The contract between Multisolutions and the Fire Department. Photo:Private file
This newspaper established that one of the shareholders of Multisolutions América SAS is, in turn, deputy manager of Makei. This is Merwin Infante Barrios, who has 50 percent. And the rest is from his sister Karen Judith.
In dialogue with this newspaper, Kevin Potes, legal representative of Multisolutions, said that they complied with all their contractual obligations: “I do not know the reasons that led the minister to give those statements and the complaint that he tells me he filed; we will be attentive to any request.”
The third company is Fonina SAS, also from Barranquilla, a fact that draws attention because the then Minister of the Interior, Armando Benedetti – whose portfolio Firefighters depends on – is from that city.
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spokespersons speak
The winter emergency left hundreds of victims. Photo:Private file
Juan Manuel Freidel Juliao is its legal representative and sole shareholder. In dialogue with EL TIEMPO, Freidel assured that the contract has not finished being executed because the National Fire Department has not wanted to receive part of the merchandise, nor pay the entire amount of the contract.
“They made me a payment of 3,940 million pesos, which materialized in some deliveries that my company made of elements for work at height for firefighters, such as harnesses. But from then on, I have not received a peso from the rest of the contract nor have they received the rest of the merchandise.”Freidel explained.
And he added: “The contract expired on June 30 (…) I have problems with the supplier because that material has been ready to be delivered for months.”
The last company, Representaciones Químicas de Colombia, is based in Bogotá and its representative is Marisol López Arévalo. At the time of going to press, they had not responded to the messages.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
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