Evidence has emerged that the government has been awarding public hospital renovation contracts to government employees, despite the fact that the procurement law bans public servants from receiving contracts.
Diario Libre reports that in tenders issued in 2013 under Health Minister Freddy Hidalgo, at least three of the beneficiaries of an emergency contest are on the government payroll, including one man who is involved a pending corruption case. The three are Luis Rafael Sanchez Esteva who won the RD$44.9 million contract for works at the El Almirante municipal hospital in Santo Domingo East. He is employed in ProComunidad where he receives a salary of RD$45,000. Sanchez said he took a six-month leave of absence to carry out the work, but due to delays in receiving payment for the contracted work, he returned to his government job prior to its completion.
Another contractor is Jose Antonio Perez Jimenez, co-accused with former National Hydraulic Resources Institute (INDRHI) director Hector Rodriguez Pimentel of defrauding the state of RD$1.5 billion. Perez Jimenez was awarded a RD$47.29 billion contract for repairing Higuey’s city hospital. At the time, he decided to retire from Indrhi to undertake the construction.
Another case involves Felix Miguel Nunez Encarnacion, who was awarded a RD$50.36 million contract to repair the Nisibon Hospital in La Altagracia (Higuey) province. Nunez Encarnacion is on the payroll of the Ministry of Public Works.
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/gobierno-adjudico-contratos-de-hospitales-a-empleados-publicos-AB1131222