2024-09-26 22:56:26
One of the main accusations comes from an audio where the Air-e company is allegedly put under pressure. In said recording, Quiroga and his advisor, Jorge Luis Villamil Salazar, allegedly tried to intimidate the company using privileged information.
The resignation of Dagoberto Quiroga, Superintendent of Public Services and close ally of President Gustavo Petro, has generated controversy in the Colombian energy sector. Quiroga, who was in charge of critical issues such as the energy and gas crisis, left his position amid accusations of alleged undue pressure on the company Air-e, an operator on the Caribbean Coast.
On July 5, 2024, just a few days after Quiroga left the International Public Services Forum in Corferias, versions began to circulate about the true reasons behind his resignation. Although the former official stated that his resignation responded to a common practice of presidential evaluation every six months, sources close to the Casa de Nariño indicated that his departure was due to a lack of support for the way in which he managed sanctions and interventions against companies in the sector. .
One of the main accusations comes from an audio that could be the “queen evidence” in a case of pressure on the Air-e company. In said recording, Quiroga and his advisor, Jorge Luis Villamil Salazar, former lieutenant colonel of the National Police, tried to intimidate the company using privileged information. The conversation took place on June 27 in Cartagena, during the meeting of the National Association of Public Services and Communications Companies (Andesco), and it also mentioned businessman William Vélez, related to a $200,000 million lawsuit between Air- e and Interaseo, Vélez’s company.
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‘There were illegal interceptions’
Villamil, who was identified in the audio along with Quiroga, denied any irregular behavior and assured that there were no illegal interceptions. Furthermore, he stated that the meeting was formal and that the reference to Vélez was not part of the conversation.
The audio, however, has raised concerns, especially because Villamil mentions that the Superintendency should investigate whether Air-e was harming users or improperly withholding resources. Quiroga, for his part, stated in the recording that there were no open investigations, which has been interpreted as an attempt to minimize the ongoing actions against Air-e.
Five days after this conversation, a letter was sent to Air-e requesting a meeting regarding a joint billing agreement with Interaseo, which has fueled suspicions of undue pressure.
For its part, Interaseo described the accusations as “biased” and stated that it has always respected the autonomy of the control entities. Meanwhile, Dian requested information from members of Air-e’s family about his assets in the country and abroad, which has raised even more doubts about the case.
The Casa de Nariño has not yet issued an official statement on the situation, but a response is expected in the coming hours given the growing concern about the possible implications of this scandal on the management of the public sector in Colombia.
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