National Police Civil Police (PNC) will have new firearmsafter the Ministry of the Interior awarded the purchase of 10 thousand units. However, A concurrent audit of the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGC) had warned apparent irregularities in the bidding process.
According to the Guatecompras electronic portal, the event was published on April 21 and the reception of offers remained in force for 30 minutes on May 5. The records realize that three companies filed offers to sell weapons to the interior portfolio.
But the Board of Board, according to an analysis of the CGC, reported a “unique supplier”, despite the fact that three bidders were presented: world of weapons, warehouse the bison and technology Latin imports.
The tender was finally awarded on June 6, for an amount of Q84 million in favor of the world company, as stated in Guatecompras.
The justifications delivered by the personnel in charge of the award did not convince the auditors of the Comptroller who practiced a concurrent audit, so they sent letters to the Minister of the Interior, Francisco Jiménez, on June 5 and July 2 to warn him of the irregularities.
They ask for actions
In the first letter, the Comptroller informed the minister the findings of the audit and explained that, despite there are three different companies that participated in the event, the event was considered as “unique supplier”.
In the conclusions of that communication, according to minutes he had access Free pressthe CGC explained: “The acquisition process, prior to the subscription of the contract, (which) may be subject to legal action is used objectively because there are breaches to Decree 57-92”, in reference to the State Contracting Law.
The second communication, on July 2, insists more directly that it is necessary that the portfolio authorities take immediate measures in the process of awarding the purchase of weapons. In addition, he asked the Ministry of the Interior to explain the actions adopted.
“The legal and/or administrative actions must notify the audit team, within a period not exceeding three business days of this note. Likewise, the actions carried out, for general and public knowledge,” must also publish in Guatecompras. “
The contract
The Ministry of the Interior bought 10 thousand Pisto Beretta pistols, at a unit price of Q8 thousand 499.68.
This acquisition is part of the annual purchasing program, approved for fiscal year 2025 and are for the use of the National Civil Police.
The police requirement consists of 10 thousand guns type 9×19 millimeters, with simple and double action shooting system, steel slide and one piece; Ultra light reinforced aluminum armor and with correlative registration number in the mechanism, sliding and cannon box, among other technical specifications.
In addition, each gun must have three standard loaders with a capacity of 15 cartridges, a cleaning kit for each firearm and an engraving in the slide that is read “PNC-Guatemala”.