“In this case there is criminal news already in the way,” says Raúl Melara, and it is the obligation of the Attorney General of the Republic to initiate investigation processes on the use that is being given to the money of Salvadorans.
The attorney general, Raúl Melara has confirmed this Friday that they have opened investigation files, after several senior officials of the president Here’s Watch have been mentioned in separate investigations on purchases made by the Ministry of Health in the framework of the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring of the Ministry of Tourism for hostels, and granting of credits by Bandesal to a relative of the commissioner Carolina Recinos.
✔Supporters of President Bukele are allegedly benefited
“As Attorney General we have opened files of all the news that exists in relation to negotiations between public officials and the State, it is our legal obligation to do so”, Melara told El Diario de Hoy.
The official has reiterated that he will not allow the situation that has been experienced in El Salvador to be taken advantage of – after the ravages left by the storms Amanda and Cristóbal, as well as the pandemic by COVID-19- “So that people take advantage of public funds.”
The Directorate for the Defense of State Interests has initiated investigation processes on “What has been in each case, to see if it is a crime”, Melara stated.
“We will not allow the misuse of Salvadoran funds”, The attorney general has stressed, who says they expect referrals of reports from both CICIES and the Court of Accounts. As part of the powers of each institution, and within the framework of aid or cooperation received by the Government, the Court of Accounts, already conducts concurrent audits, “And they determine if they are finding a finding or not. They have auditors and specialized staff to determine if the money is being used correctly. ”
“We don’t get involved in politics”
Before the publications he has made The Diario de Hoy about a company (SYGM SA de CV) linked to the Deputy Minister of Revenue, from the Ministry of Finance, José Alejandro Zelaya Villalobo and one of his associates are the ones who sold face shields to the Ministry of Health for $ 750,000, the same thing that ex-FONAES president Koky Aguilar did for $ 250,000, and as published in the digital newspaper El Faro , that the deputy Gustavo Escalante sold masks worth $ 344,000 to Health, yesterday President Bukele tried to minimize the complaints and stated that it is part of a campaign against him.
✔Deputy Minister of Revenue employees sold government $ 750,000 in face shields
Asked about those Bukele claims, Attorney General Melara claimed that what President Bukele says, “It is a political issue, in which the Attorney General does not engage, our obligations are to see that no one abuses people’s money.”
Bukele dismissed Koky Aguilar for doing business with the Ministry of Health through his company INSEMA for 250,000 in facial protectors, but so far he has not spoken seriously about the cases of Vice Minister Zelaya Villalobos or the new complaint of conflict of interest in which Bandesal granted a loan for $ 22,000 to Susana Recinos, sister of the presidential commissioner Carolina Recinos, and despite the fact that the board of that bank warned that it was not appropriate.
✔Bukele orders to dismiss Koky Aguilar as president of Fonaes for possible act of corruption
The price at which Salud bought the face shields is $ 2.50, while for a thousand units they are priced at $ 1.13, according to a quote from the INSEMA company; same that sold them at a premium to the Government.
And about the implications of these controversial negotiations, Deputy Escalante said via Twitter that “My family and I will use the right of reply to @_ElFaro_, to ratify the false accusations made against me in a recent” journalistic “note..
According to El Faro, “The Ministry of Health paid $ 344,000 for a batch of 800,000 surgical masks to Grupo GME Inversiones, a company founded by Deputy René Gustavo Escalante Zelaya and directed by him and his brother Manuel José …”.
– .
