Last year, the Attorney General Office accused Juan Alexis Medina Sanchez, brother of former President Danilo Medina and the same former President’s brother-in-law, Máximo Montilla of being leaders of a major corruption network that mainly operated through overpricing and irregularities in government electricity sector purchasing. Investigations are looking into fraudulent operations at the government power distribution companies as part of the Anti-Pulpo Operation. Several persons related to government power distribution companies are under investigation.
When irregular schemes for private profiteering with government operation of the power distribution companies were supposed to be a matter related to the past government, investigative news media are finding much of the same still seems to be happening under the new electricity authorities.
Somos Pueblo, the muckraking journalistic operation that doesn’t accept government ads, has been reporting on major overpricing at the EdeNorte, now under the administration of general manager Andres Cueto, Rosario who also is the president of the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) in Santiago. Somos Pueblo is being sued for making the revelations of overpricing at the power distribution company.
The would-be major irregularities in the government electricity sector have been making headlines, with little response from the authorities to the evidence aired on YouTube and TV channels.
Nuria Piera aired evidence of more serious irregularities in procurement at EdeNorte in her Saturday, 20 August 2022 investigative report.
Electricity expert Bernardo Castellanos says that instead of moving forward with the change of government, the electricity sector is taking steps backwards , with major violations of the Electricity Law.
Meanwhile, the major business opportunities in government purchasing for the electricity sector also are making headlines. The government has plans to purchase 700,000 electricity meters, according to Andres Astacio Polanco, the new Superintendent of Electricity.
Read more in Spanish:
Somos Pueblo TV
Nuria Investigacion
DR1 News
Listin Diario
Diario Libre
Noticias SIN
Noticias SIN
Listin Diario
Hoy
22 August 2022