07/02/2020 - 14:29
- Clarín.com
- Politics
The constraints of the pandemic and the risk of the direct purchase of supplies, without the evidentiary collection of antecedents or minimum certainty of compliance with contracts, determined a scam against the Province of 124 million pesos. It was for the purchase of invasive General Electric respirators that the contracting company, Aeromedical SA, never delivered.
The case is pending in the criminal and correctional court No. 40 of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, under the charge of Judge Paula González. Three months after the start of this fraudulent operation against the provincial heritage, the Government has not yet appeared as a plaintiff in the process.
The sequence in consideration of Justice began on April 2. Almost two weeks from the start of the 106-day quarantine. At that time a precipitous career began with the acquisition of ventilators for intensive care beds. Axel Kicillof's administration then decided to purchase 200 respirators for hospital sanitary equipment.
To do this, it provided for the use of funds from the United Nations Development Program. This is UNDP Program 16/006, signed four years ago. With these contributions, for example, masks, masks and suits were purchased, among other supplies, from China. In those promoted transfers by Aerolineas Argentinas planes. To complete that saga, the delivery of respirators that was not in those shipments was also promoted.
As seen, there is a dark border between humanitarian needs and business. The one that concerns us with the Province had a quick resolution: the contract was signed with Aeromedical SA A few days later, the Buenos Aires administration paid 124 million pesos in advance, equivalent to 40% of the total amount. That amount arose from the value of each medical device (1,040,000 pesos plus VAT).
There a winding road began that ended in a ravine. Since Aeromedical did not have this type of material, it subcontracted another merchant for the supply. So the intermediation included the businessman Damián Nevi, the same one who defrauded the Autonomous City with the provision of 5 million masks and who is still detained.
From the administrative review it appears that, on March 30, Aeromedical budgeted for the Buenos Aires Ministry of Health the cost of the 200 respirators, of the requested characteristics. That is, those who are prepared for medical intubations in cases of absolute severity. They are called invasive.
Two months of reverse gears followed. No delivery of respirators. Due to this delay in delivery, the contract was terminated by the Ministry of Health. The Technical, Administrative and Legal Undersecretary of that portfolio, María Victoria Anadón, communicated the termination to the company.
Simultaneously, Aeromedical was intimated with a refund of the 124 million pesos of the advance. The term provided for seven business days. There was no such refund. Automatically, the ministry set the actions for the execution of the bond.
What is a surety ?. It reports as an insurance detailed in the contract, in this case between the Ministry of Health and Aeromedical, in anticipation of breaches like this one.
According to the information that Clarín agreed to, that forecast established a million dollars. The insurer is Pacifico Compañía de Seguros SA
Did the Province appear as a plaintiff in the case that Judge González is pursuing in the Buenos Aires courts? "Not yet. Steps are missing from the internal administrative-legal process, "responded from Salud.
Sometimes, the response of internal procedures does not correspond to the haste that is resolved with direct purchases, affecting the public purse.
In this case, among other steps, the State attorney should intervene, the body that acts in defense of the Province's interests.
But, as in a story there are subplots, in this scam, as was exposed at the beginning, the intermediation chapter was developed.
According to Aeromedical, that same April 2, the firm turned to its supplier Nevi an advance of 68,952,000 pesos, through a check, for the supply of the respirators. First mishap: Nevi reported to his employer that the check was rejected. Everything in a complicated level of banking operation by the strict quarantine. Finally, the deposit was made at Banco Credicop. Meanwhile, the respirators remained in China or in the immensity of a lie.
Nevi argued in early May that he already had 90 teams. "Another 110 are traveling from Hong Kong," he promised. Mistrust appeared before impatience. Those responsible for Aeromedical consulted with the person in charge of the beach that received that load and verified that the respirators were "non-invasive", for patients without symptoms of absolute severity. Rejected.
The controversy between the two firms ended in the González court. The Province is not yet a party.
