Santo Domingo.- The administrators of the electricity distributor companies Edenorte, Edesur and EdeEste are placing Chilean citizens in the most important posts instead of Dominican professionals, and are cancelling contracts with local companies to contract foreign ones without a call for tenders, the Dominican Engineers, Architects and Surveyors Guild  (Codia) revealed Wednesday.

The latest in a scandal plagued State-owned Power Companies (CDEEE), specially a fraud in the millions by a Peruvian executive who fled the country, proves that foreigners also steal, according to a report by newspaper Caribe.

Codia said its members have been victims of supplies and services contracts given to foreign companies and foreigners without a call for tenders, which local ones can provide.

Codia president Domingo Mateo Urbáez said its officers are investigating

Caribe said it has received complaints that the heads of the distributing companies, of Chilean nationality, are violating Law 346-06 on Public Purchases and Contracts, alleging that too much red tape is causing delays in buying goods and contracting services.

And it gets worse. Some Dominican engineers complain of preference also for Chilean suppliers, jeopardizing the locals.

Employees

The distributing companies’ offices are also a nest for discontent on constant layoffs of Dominican personnel, who are then replaced by foreign executives.

Last September the CEO of the CDEEE, Celso Marranzini, introduced the Chilean citizens Marcelo Silfa, in Edesur; Eduardo Saavedra, in Edenorte, and Francisco Leiva, in EdeEste as the distributors’ new managers, alleging that it was one of the conditions of the international agencies to disburse credits to the sector.

Negative precedent

On December 15 Marranzini revealed a fraud of RD$35 million by Edenorte technicians headed by the company’s then financial director, the Peruvian citizen Marco Portocarrero, who had been contracted in the past administration of the CDEEE, also suggested by international agencies.

The Peruvian swiped millions from the country and fled, which proved that foreigners also steal and are incompetent.

“There are at least 23 senior Chilean executives just in Edesur and people are laid off every day,” said an employee who asked not to reveal his name.