2024-09-26 02:22:28
The ‘Centros Poblados’ scandal generated great controversy in the country in 2021, when it was revealed that the temporary union benefiting from the contract did not comply with the established requirements, which resulted in the diversion of millions of resources.
The Attorney General’s Office has closed the disciplinary investigation against Karen Abudinen, former Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), in the case related to the ‘Centros Poblados’ scandal, in which the diversion of more than $70 billion was reported. The oversight body determined that there was insufficient evidence to continue investigating the former official’s actions, exonerating her of direct responsibility in the events.
The decision was made by the Disciplinary Investigation Chamber of the Attorney General’s Office on September 23, after analyzing the process in which Abudinen’s conduct was being investigated in relation to the contract awarded to Centros Poblados, which was intended to bring internet to rural areas of Colombia. The Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded that there was no evidence of irregular conduct on the part of the former minister that would justify continuing with the investigation.
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Free of liability
In the ruling, the Attorney General’s Office decided to “declare the termination of the proceedings in favor of Dr. Karen Cecilia Abudinen Abuchaibe, ICT Minister at the time of the facts investigated, and consequently order the definitive archiving of the case, in accordance with what is set forth in the motivation section of this ruling.” With this decision, the former official is freed from any disciplinary liability arising from her role in the contracting process.
The ‘Centros Poblados’ scandal generated great controversy in the country in 2021, when it was revealed that the temporary union benefiting from the contract did not comply with the established requirements, which resulted in the diversion of millions of resources. Although Abudinen resigned from his position amid public pressure, the Attorney General’s Office made it clear that the decisions taken during his administration did not violate public procurement regulations.
The closing of the case puts an end to an investigation that had attracted media attention, and closes one of the most controversial chapters in Abudinen’s administration as ICT Minister. However, the ‘Centros Poblados’ case continues to be the subject of investigations by other judicial and fiscal bodies, which continue to explore possible irregularities in the awarding and execution of the contract.
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