Dominican Republic has 4 of Odebrecht’s 10 most ballooned works

Santo Domingo.- Four of the 10 most overvalued works by the company Odebrecht were built in the Dominican Republic, according to the report “Investiga Lava Jato,” by the international consortium of investigative journalism.

It says the work with Odebrecht’s second highest cost overrun was the Hermanas Mirabal Aqueduct (central), with an additional US$117.2 million, or 229%; followed by the Pinalito dam (central), at US$230.2 million, or a 175.7% jump.

The other two Dominican works that top the list are the Palomino dam (west), in sixth place, with a cost overrun of US$367.9, or 163%; and the La Romana beltway (east), which cost US$100.7 million, or 132% more.

Most budget increases were managed through extended deadlines, additional works and changes in engineering design that werent subjected to tenders and circumventing procurement laws.

With 12 projects, former president Leonel Fernandez signed  off on the most works of Latin America’s and Africa’s 19 presidents who provided contracts to Odebrecht. President Danilo Medina figures with three projects, whereas former president Hipólito Mejía figures with two.

Odebrecht’s 10 works in the Dominican Republic totaled US$1.23 billion in cost overruns, or third place in the list of headed by Peru, at $1.93 billion in 16 projects and Panama, with US$1.79 billion in 12 projects.