TEGUCIGALPA.
Marco Antonio Bográn, former Executive Director of Strategic Investments in Honduras (Invest-H) Yes Alex Alberto Morales image of substitute, former administrative manager of the same institution, were arrested yesterday by Public ministry (MP) accused of committing two offenses at the time of the direct acquisition of the seven mobile hospitals.
Besides this, MP also issued a tax order against Axel Gamaliel López, legal representative of Hospitalesmoviles.com and Elmed Medical Systems Inc, for fraudulent offenses to the detriment of the public administration.
After a lengthy and thorough investigation by Prosecutor Héctor Morales, which began on 7 July 2020 and lasted for nine consecutive months, Special Prosecutor’s Office for transparency and the fight against public corruption (Fetccop), la National Tax Support Unit (Unaf) and Technical Criminal Investigation Agency (Attic) it was concluded that Bogran and Moraes had committed offenses of breach of duty and two offenses of fraud to the detriment of The state of Honduras, for a total amount of L1,174.5 million.
The defendants were arrested yesterday while giving statements for another investigation process at the Prosecutor’s Office.
At 2:45 p.m., a team from Attic they entered the courtroom, where Bográn and Moraes testified for the overvalued drug purchase, when an agent informed them that they were arrested and charged with the aforementioned crimes.
Marco Tulio Castro, Bográn’s legal defender, assured that everything is a trap, “they called him for this case, but then he informed him that he was being held in pre-trial detention”.
The former officials were placed under the order of the Criminal Court of First Instance in matters of Corruption at the edge of 16:45.
Immediately, the judge in the case proceeded to the hearing of the defendant, in which the measure of judicial arrest was issued and ordered the sending of both to the 1st Infantry Battalion.
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The case of mobile hospitals Buy. March and April 2020. On March 19 and April 2, the Government of Honduras, through Invest-H, paid in cash to hospitalsmoviles.com and Elmed Medycal Inc. over $ 47 million for seven hospitals, three of 91 beds and four of 51 beds, for the care of covid-19 patients. Dismissal. June 27, 2020. The Government of the Republic decided to remove Marco Bográn from the position of Executive Director of Invest-H, after the board of directors of the institution recommended his dismissal to the President of the Republic for the purchase of mobile hospitals. Public. July 7, 2020. The Public Ministry summoned Marco Bográn to testify for the purchase of the seven mobile hospitals, was suspected of crimes of abuse of authority, fraud, embezzlement of public funds and violation of the duties of officials. Failure. April 2021. One year after the acquisition of the seven mobile hospitals, Invesy-H admitted that they did not have the capacity and conditions to care for patients infected with covid-19, calling it “the worst scam.” |
He also scheduled the initial hearing for today at 9:30, where the evacuation of the various means of proof will begin.
Similarly, the Attorney General’s Office began conducting the first international proceedings with US agencies to order the capture of Axel López, who resides in Miami, Florida, United States.
Authorities hope he will be extradited to Honduras to answer for the offenses of fraud as a necessary cooperator of which he has been charged.
Oscar Chinchilla, The Attorney General of the Republic, said that any act of corruption is reprehensible and reprehensible, but that those committed in the pandemic exceed the capacity of indignation that all residents of Honduras can have.
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3 keys about mobile hospitals Capacity reduction. Without going into operation, it was decided to reduce the capacity of hospital beds for a limited space. Not suitable for patients with covid. Experts acknowledged that mobile hospitals were not used to care for people with Covid-19. Delay. Within a year of their purchase, only two mobile hospitals were fully installed, Invest-H says it is the supplier’s fault. |
Fraudulent purchase
In the context of the beginning of the pandemic in HondurasIn March and April 2020, Marco Bográn negotiated with López the purchase of the seven mobile hospitals for a value of 47,512,564 dollars (L1,174.5 million).
“They purchased those hospitals directly and fraudulently with Mr. López … paying one hundred percent of the price in advance, without the provider having the necessary technical and financial capacity, without providing for the provision of guarantees. the interests of the state and without the prior authorization of the board of directors of Invest-H“, The Public Ministry declared in a communiqué.
The prosecutor’s office also indicated that, according to the financial information obtained by the authorities from United States of America, Axel Lopez He obtained, just to serve as an intermediary, profits of over 20 million dollars in exchange for handing over the seven hospital units to the state.
Biomedical reports and expert opinions issued by experts and inspections concluded that the hospital facilities do not meet the conditions for the isolation and treatment of people affected by coronavirus, causing “enormous damage to the health of Hondurans and public property. “
Public ministry reported that “the investigation into this continues to establish the participation and responsibility of others involved in the commission of crimes”.
Hospitals are not suitable
State-acquired mobile hospitals that would serve to care for the population affected by the covid-19 virus were useless for pandemic.
Recently, the intervening commission of Invest-H acknowledged that mobile hospitals are not suitable for treating coronavirus patients.
José Ernesto Leva, chairman of the intervening committee, acknowledged that they were not technically suitable to deal with the pandemic. covid19.
“We received an infinite number of promises from Axel López that hospitals will be installed in a timely manner, which led us to offer installation promises that we did not fulfill, but did not fulfill because it is our fault. Invest-H, but rather from the supplier who never complied “, said Leva Bulnes. So far, only the mobile hospital that was installed in San Pedro Sula operates and treats patients with covid-19, but not with the promised capacity of 91 beds.
mobile hospital from Tegucigalpa it was established that it will serve to alleviate the surgical delay of Escuela Hospital and not for the care of patients with the virus.
The remaining five mobile hospitals They continue to be installed in Olancho, Copán, El Paraíso, Choluteca and Atlántida, without knowing the details of when they will be ready, one year after purchase; although it is known that they will not serve for the care of patients with virus.