2024-09-10 19:51:26
The Public Prosecutor’s Office pointed out irregularities in the selection of a liquor marketing company in 2016.
The Attorney General’s Office ratified a sanction against Camilo Romero, current Colombian ambassador to Argentina and former governor of Nariño, for irregularities detected in the selection of a liquor marketing company in 2016. The ruling, in the second instance, imposed a four-month suspension on Romero, although since he is not currently holding an elected office, the sanction was commuted to a fine of $31.8 million.
The investigation dates back to his administration as governor of Nariño, when his administration awarded a contract to the Nariño Liquor Organization SAS for the sale of 80,000 cases of liquor without carrying out the appropriate selection process. The Attorney General’s Office determined that equal conditions for other bidders were not guaranteed, since only one company had access to the price setting and conditions of the contract.
“In the case under review, there is a complete failure to comply with the duties of the governor, especially considering that he had assigned the Secretary of the Treasury to handle urgent matters in his office,” the Attorney General’s Office said. This oversight was considered a serious breach in the exercise of his functions.
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The process
The disciplinary process against Romero began in 2016, shortly after the contract was awarded, and has had several stages. In 2023, the former governor was suspended for the first time, a decision he appealed, insisting that he did not commit any irregularities. However, the recent decision of the Disciplinary Chamber for the Trial of Popularly Elected Public Servants ratified the offense and issued the financial penalty.
The ruling states that the Romero administration did not comply with the rigor required in a public selection process, which generated inequality among potential participants. “During the process, only one company was able to see the decree where the prices and scales for the sale of liquor were set, which limited the transparency of the process,” explained the Attorney General’s Office.
Romero questioned the decision of the Attorney General’s Office, stating: “The disciplinary process against me has been closed, they can’t invent anything else. What they confirm to me is a fine, not a suspension.” He also clarified that the ruling will not affect his functions as ambassador in Argentina.
“Politicized Attorney General’s Office”
Through his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), Romero spoke out on the subject: “After 7 years, and with a politicized Attorney General’s Office, no irregular action was found on my part and only a financial fine was formalized for what the Attorney General’s Office considers an omission.”
The Camilo Romero case is one of a series of investigations into former governors and officials in Colombia, highlighting the importance of transparency in public contracting and compliance with rules in bidding processes. Although the sanction does not affect his current diplomatic position, the process rekindles political tensions and criticism of the actions of disciplinary authorities in the country.
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