The Transcore Latam smart traffic lights contract had been contested early this year by suppliers, but the red flags did not get the Procurement Agency to act and instead, Hugo Beras, then director of the National Transit and Transport Agency (Intrant) went on to award the contract for the Dominican government in May 2023.
Major controversies would arise when the contending companies presented clear evidence of the irregularities and the Procurement Agency (DGCP) finally accepted there was a rotten egg in the contracting. Carlos Pimentel of the DGCP made a first and second announcement of irregularities in October 2023. Hugo Beras, who had strongly defended the Transcore Latam contract, would take a non-paid absence to allow for the investigations to proceed.
In November 2023, the Procurement Agency finally canceled the contract due to the major irregularities that were coming to the surface. The case now has moved to the Attorney General’s Administrative Prosecution division (Pepca).
The winner of the Intrant bid, Transcore Latam is accused of fraudulently presenting documentation that Transcore LP and Econolite of the United States were behind them to win the contract. The Intrant and the Procurement Agency at the time accepted the validity of the Transcore LP and Econolite documentation and the contract was signed in June 2023.
The two companies would challenge Transcore Latam and complain to the DGCP.
Jose Angel Gomez (Jochi Gomez) is now on the road defending the RD$1.31 billion contract and his participation. Jochi Gomez reportedly provided the guarantee for a RD$120 million loan to kick start the company that previously had not undertaken the installation of any smart traffic light system in any city of the world.
Investigative journalist Alicia Ortega revealed on her El Informe investigative journalism show last week (Monday, 19 November 2023) that Gomez had also presented irregular documentation to substantiate winning the license issuing and renewal contract from the Ministry of Public Works for his DeKolor company.
Ortega for El Informe says that in 2008 Gomez was accused of blackmail, bribery and hacking of government and business people email accounts in collaboration with international criminals. She also presented details from the DGCP file on the Transcore Latam contract that reveals that similar impersonation had resulted in DeKolor winning the contract to produce driver licenses in the Dominican Republic. At the time, the Mexican company Cosmocolor disputed being in association with DeKolor. DeKolor won the contract for the licenses, filing Cosmocolor documentation without an agreement with the Mexican company.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia con Edith Febles
El Informe con Alicia Ortega
28 November 2023