PEPCA uncovers alleged corruption in INTRANT’s RD$1.3 billion traffic light contract

Santo Domingo.- The Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for the Prosecution of Administrative Corruption (PEPCA) revealed that the Operation Chameleon investigation centers on alleged irregularities in a RD$1.3 billion contract for the modernization of Santo Domingo’s traffic light system, awarded by INTRANT (National Institute of Transit and Land Transportation). According to prosecutors, the tender INTRANT-CCC-LPN-2022-0003 was manipulated from its inception to benefit Transcore Latam SRL, a company allegedly controlled by José Ángel Gómez Canaán (Jochi Gómez) through a network of shell companies.

The indictment claims the tender process was tailor-made for Transcore Latam, featuring inflated costs—1,053% higher than the project’s real value—and technical requirements that excluded competitors. Prosecutors say that although the company was created in 2021 with just RD$100,000 in capital and no experience in traffic systems, it was awarded INTRANT’s largest technology contract within a year. Documentation presented to the evaluation committee falsely suggested an affiliation with U.S.-based Transcore Holdings, Inc., which prosecutors say does not exist.

PEPCA alleges that INTRANT officials, including members of its Procurement and Contracting Committee, collaborated in the process under the direction of then-director Hugo Beras. The Public Prosecutor’s Office contends that other bidders were disqualified for minor issues, ensuring Transcore Latam’s selection. Despite the large budget, the modernization project remains incomplete, with much of the equipment unused, and payments—totaling RD$489 million by December 2024—allegedly redirected to companies OML Inversiones SRL and Aurix SAS, both tied to Gómez Canaán.

Prosecutors also link the case to a cyberattack on Santo Domingo’s traffic light network in August 2024, reportedly traced to a server associated with Transcore Latam. The attack is believed to have been an attempt to erase digital evidence of the contract and financial transfers. Although no one has yet been charged for the sabotage, PEPCA considers it a key part of the financial and technological scheme under investigation.