Six months after the magnitude-8 earthquake hit southern Peru, the comptroller-general’s office will begin a probe of Ica’s regional government for alleged irregularities in reconstruction contracts, says lawmaker Freddy Cerna Guzmán.
Guzmán, a member of the Union for Peru party and a representive of the Ica congressional district, told Ideele Radio that preliminary investigations show contracts to clean the debris from the Aug. 15 earthquake were awarded to companies lacking the capacity to complete the job. He added that the companies were not entitled to receive State contracts.
“There has been over charging for machines, the Comptroller has also found poor use of public funds for the emergency on the part of Ica’s regional presidency,” says Guzmán. According to Guzmán, 20 of the contracts cost the government 15 million soles, or about $5 million, representing more than 80 percent of the emergency funds.
“I’ve presented documents to the Comptroller where it shows the irregularities in the case of machinery and over charging during the emergency,” Guzmán said.
Accusations of government mismanagement and profiteering have tarnished the reconstruction effort. “At times when people need resolute and transparent help, there are irregularities like these.”
