The Office of the Attorney General achieved the prosecution of the governor of San Andrés, Everth Julio Hawkins Sjogreen, for alleged irregularities detected in a contract about design, layout, and printing of advertising material signed during the health emergency.
In a hearing held before a judge of the Superior Tribunal, a Delegate Prosecutor to the Supreme Court of Justice stated that the governor opened a call to companies in order to participate in giving an estimate; however, 48 hours later, on March 18, he decreed the public calamity for Covid-19, he declared the manifest urgency and he entered into a contract with Noel Foto SAS.
The evidence shows that the governor disregarded the participation of other bidders and, with the measures that he adopted, benefited a particular company, whose legal representative, Henry Ramírez García, allegedly worked in the political campaign for the election of Hawkins Sjogreen.
Likewise, it was learned that the governor justified the declaration of manifest urgency given the low level of coverage of the health services and with the purpose of adopting measures to avoid or mitigate the over-demand of health services due to Covid-19. But, the purpose of the investigated contract was an advertising strategy to contribute to the image of the governor and his staff, and did not contribute to meeting the health requirements of the population.