It´s official: US$2.0B power plant is a Dominican Republic Gov. scandal

Santo Domingo.-  The executive vice president of the Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (Finjus) on Wed. turned the US$2.0B Punta Catalina power plant into another Dominican Gov. scandal, calling for an investigation into the findings of a special commission designated by president Danilo Medina.

Servio Tulio Castaños said the Office of the Prosecutor must investigate the findings on the tender and the Punta Catalina power plant its contract of over US$2.0 billion.

Castaños one the commissioners appointed by the Executive to investigate the process that benefited the company Odebrecht, stressed that “there are things that in the end I think the Prosecutor will have to investigate.”

He noted that Odebrecht admitted paying bribes from 2001 to 2014, “but the only work that was contracted from 2012 to 2014 was Punta Catalina … there then is a problem.”

He affirmed that those in the commission probing the tender for Punta Catalina “didn’t know of that, that’s why you see that they hire Stanley Consulting.” He said the contracted firm exercised powers which are the responsibility of the tender committee.

“I will say everything I saw independently of the commission,” he said when interviewed by El Despertador, channel 9.

Castaños said he’s free to say what he found, because he wasn’t consulted to be named on that commission.

He revealed that the commission’s interviews are recorded, and therefore cannot be altered.

He said that the final report of the commission will be ready in less than a month.

He reiterated Stanley Consulting’s “irresponsibility, which fills me with indignation.”

The prominent attorney said the fact that he was part of that commission drew harsh critique, but noted that it has been interesting to be part of it and to have seen what he has seen.

The commission headed by bishop Agripino Núñez includes pastor Jorge Alberto Reynoso, Busines Council CONEP president Pedro Brache, retail mogul José Luis Corripio, union leader Gabriel del Río; former  Electric Utility (CDEEE) CEOs Celso Maranzini and César Sánchez; Jaime Aristy, and Dominican Society of Dailies president Persio Maldonado.