The tender for the purchase of 10 thousand firearms that the Ministry of the Interior (Mingob) awarded a company whose legal representatives are brothers of a minister is under investigationas confirmed by the Social Communication Unit of the Public Ministry (MP).
The interior portfolio, directed by Minister Francisco Jiménez, awarded the world company a contract for Q84 million for the acquisition of weapons. This company has as legal representatives Oscar Francisco and Renzo Ricardo, both surnames Grazioso Sierra, brothers of the Minister of Culture and Sports, Liwy Grazioso Sierra.
According to the Guatecompras portal, both appear as legal representatives of the company benefiting from the contract.
The investigation for this bidding process is in the hands of two prosecutors, as explained by the MP Communication Unit: one by the Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime and the other in the Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption.
Because both investigations are ongoing, the authorities have not provided specific details about their progress.
Among the elements reported by René André Polasek Franco, according to MP communication, is that the company “is benefiting with all purchases.” As an example, he mentioned a similar process that occurred last year, also awarded to the world of weapons, for Q150 million.
Polasek Franco, legal representative of one of the companies that competed in the process, also presented a disagreement before the award, in which he expressed his suspicions for an alleged bias in the selection.
The Ministry of the Interior, through its social communication team, indicated that it was about to receive information about it to set a position, but so far it has not provided an answer.
CGC findings
The case for alleged irregularities in the award of 10 thousand firearms charged greater relevance after the report of an audit Concurrent, sent to the Minister of the Interior at the end of June and repeated on July 2.
The audit team assigned to the case stated that, although three companies participated in the contest, the Board of Bidding classified it as the only offeror, arguing that the required weapons – specified in the bases – were only offered by the world of weapons.
One of the dissatisfied companies said that the requested model is obsolete and has been discontinued in different police forces in the world, although the objective is to strengthen the operational capacity of the National Civil Police.
In addition, this company argued that There could be an overvaluation in the price of armamentIt ensures that other companies in the national market offer the same model at a lower cost.
Faced with these doubts, the Comptroller General of Accounts (CGC) notified the Minister of the Interior about his findings and granted him three business days to adopt “the corresponding administrative measures”.
The letter was delivered on July 2, so the deadline for taking actions expires on Monday, July 7.
In a recent press conference Jose Ronaldo Portillo, Vice Minister of SecurityHe said the issue is “under analysis”, without being able to deepen what the decisions made by the portfolio could be.
But the vice minister was clear that firearms are “necessary” for the police institution, since it is the way I know will reinforce the elements of citizen protection.