Contractor Guillermo Bonelly Knipping has criticized the government for paying RD$176 million to designer Margarita Gomez to furnish and decorate the Supreme Court of Justice and Attorney General building, despite his having won a RD$60 million contract by public tender, of which he owned up to having been paid RD$40 million when interviewed on the Gobierno de la Manana, morning talk show.
Bonelly said that his company, Importadores y Representatives Bohenco Santo Domingo won the contest in 1999 to furnish and equip the Supreme Court at a cost of US$3.2 million, equivalent to RD$60 million today. The project was shelved when former President Hipolito Mejia abandoned the completion of the Supreme Court building.
Bonelly said he delivered several letters to the Minister of Public Works alerting them about the increase of costs if the completion was delayed.
With the change of government, Public Works Minister Freddy Perez gave him the go-ahead to continue with the works, and he committed to deliver by 7 January. Bonelly said that all subcontractors participated in the meeting, not Margarita Gomez, who was latter to be entrusted with the furnishing contract.
Bonelly said that Gomez later appeared and “did whatever she pleased, going to the extreme of ordering us to remove our installations so she could bring her furniture.”
He complained that Gomez did not work with the architects that built the installation and instead made modifications that have changed the interiors in such a way that he feels is not adequate for the work of the Supreme Court of Justice nor the Attorney General’s offices, as reported in Hoy newspaper.
He stated that he had received payments for RD$15 million in 1999, RD$25 million in 2000, for a total of RD$40 million. He said that he began supplying contracted furnishings to the Supreme Court in October 2004, but was obliged to remove them by Margarita Gomez.
El Nacional newspaper reported that Bohenco received an additional payment for RD$14.5 million on 22 November, for a total of RD$65.8 million in decorating services.
He also alleged that Gomez imported imitation antiques from China. “I do not know the prices, but the totals should be unjustifiable,” he said.