2023-12-26 07:23:00
The Attorney General’s Office ordered the suspension of the mayor of Cali, Jorge Iván Ospina, for four months for alleged irregularities due to the Cali Fair that took place in 2020 and which was in virtual format.
The control body also announced that the current Secretary of Education, José Darwin Lenis, was suspended and disqualified for nine years during the same fair.
For his part, Mayor Ospina believes that he does not know the meaning of the ruling and that “there is hatred and anger.”
(You may be interested in: ‘Christmas Eve’ in Valle: a dead cleaning employee and seizures of drugs and gunpowder)
As detailed by the organization, this ruling in the first instance is presented due to an apparent agreement that it considers irregular for $11,955,020,000 for the fair contest in its 63rd edition.
Jose Darwin Lenis, new Cali Secretary of Education.
These facts that are the subject of investigation are related to the agreement that was signed between the mayor of Cali and Corfecali.
The Attorney General’s Office would have shown that Lenis Mejía, who served as Secretary of Culture at that time, had not carried out the previous studies or the support that justified the amount of the agreement with the corporation that organizes the Cali Fair.
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In addition, he pointed out that the official carried out a cost analysis taking into account the prices of in-person fairs, despite being a virtual event and in conditions of social isolation.
As for the president, the control entity announced that “the fault committed by the president was classified as serious with serious fault for omitting the vigilance that he should have exercised”, since according to the Attorney General’s Office he had “(…) the possibility of asking for explanations to channel the actions of his subordinates towards achieving the goals of the municipal administration.”
The organization made it clear that for this decision the appeal before the Disciplinary Chamber of Judgment of Popularly Elected Public Servants applies.
Salsa, the queen at the opening event of the Cali Fair, the first virtual in its history.
Some councilors spoke out regarding the Attorney General’s decision. One of them was Terry Hurtado, who questioned the efficiency of the control body with just under a week remaining in Ospina Gómez’s term.
“The suspension of Ospina by the Attorney General’s Office shows the strange ineffectiveness of the Ombudsman. The late decision only constitutes a symbolic fact. But José Darwin’s disability, at least, will protect the treasury for 9 years. And the investigations of his education? ”He published on his X account.
The suspension of Ospina by the Attorney General’s Office shows the strange ineffectiveness of the Ombudsman. The late decision only constitutes a symbolic fact. But José Darwin’s disability, at least, will protect the treasury for 9 years. And the investigations of his education? pic.twitter.com/g9w1UMP4jj
— Terry Hurtado (@TerryHurtado) December 25, 2023
“Nothing is as close to injustice as delayed justice. We welcome the 4-month suspension of Mayor Jorge Iván Ospina by the Attorney General’s Office due to irregularities in the contracting of the Cali 2020 Fair. It is imperative that corruption be eradicated to build a more fair and transparent Cali,” published the councilor Juan Martín Bravo.
(Also: Don’t make ‘Christmas Eve’ bitter: beware of gunpowder and adulterated liquor in the Valley)
“The suspension of Jorge Iván Ospina and the dismissal and disqualification of José Darwin Lenis at this point—beyond respect for due process—arrives extremely late, when the mayor and his partners have made all the hiring they wanted and left the city in a terrible institutional crisis,” says councilor Ana Erazo.
And he adds: “Here the message that is portrayed is that it is possible that a mayor and his secretaries can squander public money, carry out dubious contracts and yet the sanctions will arrive so late that they will already be far from the position and responsibility that they have.” it is up to them. The only ones who lost were the Cali people.”
Mayor of Cali: ‘Principles are never negotiated’
Recently, through his
Jorge Iván Ospina, mayor of Cali
“Many of my friends tell me that this barrage from the control organizations is due to my friendship with President Gustavo Petro, I want to tell them that principles are never negotiated, ever,” the president published on networks.
Many of my friends tell me that this barrage from the control organizations is due to my friendship with Mr. Pdte. @petrogustavo tell them I want the principles to NEVER be negotiated, EVER
— Jorge Ivan Ospina (@JorgeIvanOspina) December 26, 2023
He had previously opened a thread in , but there is undoubtedly hatred and anger in leaking a pamphlet today.”
(In context: ‘I will continue fighting until I die’: Mayor Ospina following charges were brought once morest him)
“But the institutions above their men and women, in such a way that with evidence, with international support and with our heads held high, we will notify ourselves to advance an argued defense. Always the importance of responding within the framework of the law,” he added.
Finally he said: “But don’t let them say that there is no harassment, aggression, premeditation and the idea of reputational damage. I have navigated turbulent waters my entire life and we have always won. We overcame the covid, the outbreak and left behind strategic works; we will also overcome this “.
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