Port-au-Prince Haiti’s Government Commissioner Clamé-Ocnam Daméus has issued an order to freeze the bank accounts of 36 companies linked to the supposed corruption detected in the Petrocaribe program of the Venezuelan government. The decision was taken following an investigation ordered by the Haitian government into the program by means of which Venezuela provided petroleum to Haiti and other countries in the region.
Among the companies affected are Rofi and S.A., Hadom, S.A. (both belonging to Félix Bautista), Constructora Mar (of Mícalo Bermúdez) and Ingeniería Estrella (belonging to Manuel Estrella).
The Haitian Senate investigations have revealed that there was a diversion of more than US$2 billion from the program to former government officials and companies, although to date no one has been formally accused.
But representatives of the companies, nevertheless, say they have not been formally notified and are operating. In a press release, Constructora Hadom, Hadom S.A., and Construcciones y Diseños and Rofi, S.A. (owned by PLD senator Felix Bautista) are very interested in showing we have no ties to corruption. The company says it is available for explanations on their operations in Haiti. The press release says that the Haitian government owes Hadom and Rafi a payment of more than US$52 million.
Ingeniería Estrella issued a press release indicating it has no judicial case open in Haiti and the banks with which the company operates have not been notified by any authority.
Constructora Mar (Micaelo Bermudez) said the company has not carried out a work in Haiti that is related to the PetroCaribe funds. The company says it has no operations in Haiti.
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El Nacional
14 November 2018
