Lawyer Mario Arturo Fernandez Burgos went public on the Esta Noche con Mariasela TV talk show by Mariasela Alvarez and Diana Lora on Channel 9 on Monday, 15 May 2023. It is the first time the highly respected lawyer has spoken publicly on the Chamber of Accounts impasse. He says there is a solution to the internal conflict at the Chamber of Accounts. The entity is the government-auditing agency. Congress is now considering an investigation that could lead to impeachment of the five board members, including Fernandez.
The situation had been brewing at the Chamber of Accounts from its start, affecting the pace and quality of work. The story, nevertheless, became a trending topic after the president of the Chamber of Accounts, Janel Ramirez, gave an interview to TV journalist Edith Febles and revealed the internal conflicts at the auditing agency. He explained that the auditing entity is divided between himself as the presiding member and fellow member Mario Arturo Fernandez Burgos versus the three women members – Elsa Maria Catano Ramirez, Elsa Peña Peña, Tomasina Tolentino de McKenzie.
Janel Ramirez denounced the situation of non-governance at the plenary at the Chamber of Accounts. He denounced he has been impeded from naming key staff at the Chamber despite having the budget.
TV host Mariasela Alvarez remarked that the interview with Ramirez “opened the can of worms” at the Chamber of Accounts.
The Congress is now considering removing the members. Mario Arturo Fernandez Burgos, nevertheless, said in the interview on 15 May 2023 that the investigation at Congress has yet to start. He said Congress has not yet required documents from the Chamber of Accounts.
During the interview with Mariasela Alvarez, Mario Fernandez clarified that the president of the Chamber of Accounts had been staged. From early on in his presidency, an audio was released incriminating Ramirez with being responsible for sexual harassment to an employee.
Fernandez said the audio was false. He said it was built taking segments from a 45 minute tape and combining these to create the audio to incriminate Ramirez.
Fernandez explained that this happened when the members were working over hours on major government corruption cases. “The system of impunity prepared the case and orchestrated a mediatic effort to defame the president inside and outside the plenary,” explained Fernandez.
“Who benefits from the crime… impunity for corruption”. He stressed it was an inside operation. “It is a struggle that citizens must wage and should not ignore what is at stake in the Chamber of Accounts,” said Fernandez.
Fernandez says there is still time to get things done right. He denounced the opposition within the Chamber to the hiring of four expert auditors to direct four teams. He said some persons need to be removed, but the president of the Chamber of Accounts does not have the power to do so. He said there is a budget of RD$700 million to hire the new technology and new auditors.
He said that incumbent staff that have altered the audits to benefit those that were at fault continue in the Chamber of Accounts. “It is the same structure, carrying out the same malpractices, the same employees,” said Fernandez. The president of the Chamber of Accounts does not have the authority to fire these.
Fernandez says to deliver quality audits at the Chamber of Accounts has been very difficult. “We work in a state of anxiety. We are very conditioned,” he said.
Fernandez explained that auditing worldwide has migrated to use artificial intelligence and technology. “There is the technology and resources to deploy this technology and these could have been in place a year and a half ago but the three persons have not been able to agree. The technology exists and we only have to implement it,” said Fernandez.
He confirmed in the interview that progress has not been made because of the opposition of the three women members.
Fernandez says the Constitution gives mandate to the Chamber of Accounts to audit the implementation of the budget. Yet this has not been possible because of internal conflicts. He says the situation would be resolved with the appointment of the four expert auditors to lead the new divisions.
He also called that all that happens at the Chamber of Accounts be transparent and open to the general public.
When asked his opinion if there be a political trial in Congress, he responded: “We have a matter that should be dealt with at the origins. What has been happening is the creating of obstacles so the audits cannot be presented for use by state prosecutors. There is still time for the Chamber of Accounts to produce 100 audits this year, but we need the four directors of audits to be able to guarantee the quality of the reports, or the penal cases will be affected,” he said.
He is aware an impeachment trial in Congress would remove all the members and a new Chamber of Accounts would be elected. Right now, the Chamber of Deputies has chosen a committee of 30 legislators for the investigation. The same person who presided over the pre-selection of the members of the present Chamber of Accounts is chosen to preside the investigation.
Fernandez says to start again would be a major setback for the objectives of fighting corruption and impunity.
He called for creating a committee to reach an understanding within for the better of the country. He said what is most important is the incorporation of quality control at the Chamber of Accounts. He said then the credibility of the accounts will be achieved.
He is hopeful the five members can work together. He said the present non-governance at the Chamber of Accounts has its origins in the Chamber of Accounts charter that makes the president responsible for achieving the objectives, but then does not allow him to name the staff.
He called to the other members of the Chamber of Account to work together in the name of the correct management at the Chamber of Accounts to achieve the improvement of quality of life for all Dominicans.
Mario Fernandez is a civic movement member of Santiago, founder of the Santiago Somos Todos NGO. He has high credibility as a representative of collective interests.
He is a graduate in Law from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM). He has completed postgraduate studies in Criminal Litigation, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE); Arbitration, PUCMM and Intellectual Property, Universidad de la República Dominicana (UNIBE).
Follow the story:
Esta Noche Mariasela – Channel 9
Edith Febles _ El Dia
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16 May 2023