The Prosecutor’s Office linked four other people for their alleged participation in the contracting of services for the maintenance of electronic equipment at the Los Ceibos hospital, from the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS). With that, there are a total of seven accused of course embezzlement.
That would have caused economic damage of $291,595.
Seven arrested for overpricing case at the IESS hospital in Los Ceibos
In the linkage hearing, held on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 17, at the North Florida Judicial Unit, the Public Administration prosecutor, César Suárez Pilay, presented as elements of conviction: the reports with indications of criminal responsibility issued by the Comptroller’s Office General of the State (CGE), that of recognition of the place of the facts.
Additionally, the accounting reports that identify the alleged damage caused to the nursing home, the public contracting report, the resolution of the contract and its award, and the certificate of validation of errors, signed by the Technical Commission of said sanatorium .
In addition, the investigative reports of the Customs and Tax Crimes Unit (UDAT) and of the National Police Criminalistics technical eye inspection, the actions of the defendants and their versions, the unique proof of registration (CUR of payments), the invoices presented by the supplier, among others.
The judge of Criminal Guarantees, Ruth Quevedo, accepted in part the request of the Prosecutor’s Office and ordered preventive detention for Renato EA (provider of the hospital center) and precautionary measures prohibiting him from leaving the country and presenting the case to the Prosecutor to Johanna VF (administrator of the contract), Cristina GZ (responsible for the market study) and Susana ML (manager of Hospital Los Ceibos, as of that date).
The magistrate also ordered the alienation of assets for $50,000 for each defendant, in addition to extending the tax instruction for another thirty days.
On September 10, 2021, National Police Criminalistics agents raided the IESS Los Ceibos hospital, located in the north of Guayaquil, for alleged irregularities in the contracting of maintenance services for electronic equipment, the amount of which was $544,310.98. .
The investigation began on August 30, 2021, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a report with indications of criminal responsibility from the State Comptroller General.
The negotiation would have been in charge of the former general manager of the hospital, Susana M., and the contractor Renato A., with the approval of the technical commission of the hospital.
According to the report, Renato A. did not present documentation that supports his experience for maintenance work on electronic equipment at the Los Ceibos hospital.
In addition, he would have received an advance of $291,595 without any service having been provided until April 30, 2022.
In the early morning of Thursday, October 20, 2022, the Prosecutor’s Office carried out several raids in Guayaquil, Quito and Manta.
IESS official was discovered when he received money in exchange for starting the payment process to an external provider of the entity
In those, Andrés CM (current hospital official), Bolívar JM and Jorge Mauricio RC (former officials) were arrested. The three were members of the technical commission that endorsed the contract.
They were transferred to Guayaquil for the hearing to formulate charges held the following day, in which the Criminal Guarantees judge issued precautionary measures prohibiting departure from the country and house arrest, with periodic control by the investigating prosecutor, on Mondays and Fridays. for Andrés CM (current hospital official), Bolívar JM and Jorge Mauricio RC, (former employees). (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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