Manuel Arias, the engineer who headed the company that received the US$61.6 million contract to build covered sporting facilities nationwide left the country after the governmental corruption prevention department began an investigation into the construction of 115 sports projects. The company behind the projects, Child Safe Products, has not been in operation for some four months, as Diario Libre reporters established when they called the company. The controversial loan was approved by Congress on 30 December 2002. The government borrowed US$54.1 million from All First Bank of Maryland, with the support of the US export promotion agency Eximbank.