On September 17, 2021, during the administration of President Guillermo Lasso, the then manager of Flopec, Pilar Ferri, filed a complaint against Jaime Condoy Blacio, who also ran Flopec, but in the Government of Lenín Moreno. . According to the report filed for alleged embezzlement, Ferri was able to uncover a number of irregularities in the hiring of ships for the transportation of crude oil, including the company Amazon Tankers.

This was explained by Assembly Member Villavicencio, President of the Supervisory Commission, which is currently conducting the impeachment process, based on the complaint filed by Assembly Members Viviana Veloz, Mireya Pazmiño, Pedro Zapata and Rodrigo Fajardo, against President Lasso. The only cause that is analyzed after the approval of the Constitutional Court on the alleged fraud with regard to the effects on the state transport company.

Ferri, on the instructions of the Board of Directors at the time, filed a complaint against Condoy Blacio, who was the head of the public company from February 14, 2020 to December 12, 2020, i.e. in the administration of Lenín Moreno. Among Ferri’s findings, which appear in the complaint, is that of Codoy Blacio’s administration:

According to Villavicencio, the fact that this report exists means that the Government itself has started an investigation against the Moreno government. He also reminded that the controller, in addition to his complaint, subsequently drew up a report in which he established 6.1 million losses and established that there were damages and responsibilities. He also makes recommendations. In 2022, Flopec, in the administration of Lasso, implements the recommendations of the Overseer’s Office and restores resources.

Regarding the beginning of the impeachment trial of President Lasso, by members of the assembly who claim that there was embezzlement in those contracts, on March 30, assembly member Villavicencio sent the comptroller a request for a special investigation and a comprehensive audit Agreement signed by Flopec and Company Dragun USA LLP, December 7, 2018 and its supplements.

The same requirements for other contracts with Andes Tanker, Agoyán Tanker and Galapagos Tanker.

In his petition, Villavicencio claims that these companies are related to prosecuted companies such as Gunvor and Core Petroleum and their companies URSA Shipping Hong Kong, Baere Maritime, Dragun USA, Core Transport and Mjoliner Shipping.

In general, Villavicencio explains how affection for the state would generally work in Flopec and over several years. It is known that the Ecuadorian oil that Petroecuador allegedly supplied to Petrochina, Unipec and PTT went to intermediaries: Core Petroleum, URSA Shippin Castro Petroleum, all Gunvor’s companies. It is also known that bribes were given for these contracts. The real purpose of the deal was the resale of crude oil at prices higher than that obtained from the Ecuadorian oil company and its transportation, in which Flopec has losses. Various public officials amassed fortunes, including Nilsen Arias and businessmen Enrique Cadena, Antonio and Enrique Peré.

In any case, the assemblyman notes that “it is at least strange the radical change of criteria of the member of the assembly Pazmiño who previously defended the contract with Amazonas Tankers, and now in the report accusing Guillermo Lasso of embezzlement he maintains the position of convincing that this association caused millions of losses to the state treasury with the consent of Hernán Luque.

According to a report published in October 2022 by Mireya Pazmiño of the Economic Regime Commission, it is indicated that the Amazon Tankers association made a profit of 24.1 million by August 31. He asked FLopec to retain a 50% stake in this commercial contract, in order to comply with regulations and retain the aforementioned profits. It was also stated that in his report the Chief State Inspector recommended an assessment of the income and other conditions established in the Amazonas Tankers Pool connection modality in order to determine the suitability and relevance of the continuation of this commercial agreement. She indicated that at that time there was an “irregular action by Alma. (SP) Johnny Estupiñan Echeverría, who unilaterally terminated the association agreement on February 1, 2022”. He also recalled that after that both Flopec and EMCO considered unilateral termination as an extreme risk; which led the former manager of the aforementioned Flopec to revoke the unilateral termination from February 4, 2022. In this sense, regarding the termination of the contract, he requested that all analyzes that are technically, economically and legally appropriate be carried out beforehand; including risks, to avoid damage to the public company.

When MP Pazmiño asked about the reason for her alleged change of criteria, she explained that she did not say that terminating the contract could bring complications with arbitration, nor that it should continue. “From the information received, I request that all contracts be audited, economic, legal and financial, to see if the continuation of each contract is profitable or not, please understand,” he said.

So far, it is not known what is the status of this report for malfeasance that started back in Ferri’s time. In any case, according to Villavicencio, Flopec said he acted on the comptroller’s first recommendations on the case and that the errors have already been corrected.