2024-08-22 03:55:34
Amid growing public discontent over difficulties in obtaining appointments for passports, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has stepped up its surveillance of the process, demanding clarity from the Foreign Ministry on future plans.
Margarita Cabello Blanco, Attorney General of the Nation, expressed her concern in a meeting with Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and Comptroller Carlos Hernán Rodríguezstressing the need for a strategic plan to ensure service once the current contractor’s extension expires on October 2.
Reports about the proliferation of brokers who allegedly sell quotas to obtain appointments have set off alarm bells in the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Cabello Blanco indicated that preliminary investigations will be initiated to determine whether these acts constitute sources of corruption within the passport issuing system.We will be very attentive and vigilant to identify any irregularities and, if necessary, proceed with the relevant disciplinary investigations.“, said the attorney general.
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The roundtable, convened by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, focused on addressing the problems faced by citizens, from endless queues to limited availability of appointments. The attorney general insisted that urgent measures must be taken to ensure that the passport issuing service meets the expectations and needs of Colombians.
One of the most critical issues discussed during the meeting was the imminent termination of the current contract for the manufacture of passports. Faced with this situation, Cabello Blanco demanded that Foreign Minister Murillo provide specific details on the contingency plan that will guarantee the continuity of the service as of October 2.
“We will ensure that the recruitment process is carried out properly and that citizens’ complaints about obtaining passports are addressed,” the attorney general concluded, making it clear that the Public Prosecutor’s Office will remain firmly vigilant in this process, seeking to prevent current problems from persisting or worsening.
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