The final report of the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Comptroller General’s Office and the Procurement Agency on the bidding process at the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE) reveals that former director Cecilio Rodriguez and his team committed fraud when awarding and paying for school meals during 2021-2022, the first year of the Abinader administration. Inabie is the purchasing arm of the Ministry of Education.
The investigations found that more that 614 providers had shareholder ties among themselves and only 30% of those receiving allotments were from the small business sector, in violation to public contracting rules. There is non-compliance with Procurement Law 340-06 in the selection of suppliers and allocation of rations under non-transparent criteria, influence-peddling to obtain allotments in the supplier process and illegal provisional awarding of contracted work by the Food and Nutrition Department of Inabie.
The Procurement Agency (DGCP) investigated the first year of operations of the National Student Welfare Institute (Inabie) and sent the findings to the Attorney General Office. The Comptrollers Office audit was separate from this investigation.
Major irregularities and violations of regulations and laws include millions paid for school lunches to companies that did not have a kitchen. The names of persons signaled out for the violations are of unknown persons, but journalist Altagracia Salazar says a probe will reveal these have close ties to ruling party politicians. The big question then is whether the Public Prosecutors Office, that is already burdened with past and present government corruption cases, will follow through all the way. President Luis Abinader has promised in his government there will not be impunity.
After displaced suppliers complained of corruption at the Inabie office, President Luis Abinader removed the entire management team. The new director, Victor Castro, is a former president of the Herrera Industries Association. He has organized the tenders for contracting for two-year terms (2022-2024). Procurement for the school lunches will be for RD$21 billion. An estimated 4,000 suppliers are expected to compete for the contracts. Suppliers protest there are new irregularities in the works under the new authorities.
Castro Izquierdo was appointed director of Inabie last November 17, after President Luis Abinader dismissed Cecilio Rodríguez for the irregularities found in the bidding process for more than RD$13 billion for the school lunches.
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Altagracia Salazar Sin Maquillaje
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6 April 2022