The Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico published the result of the investigation into the bidding, contracting and payments for services to remove and install air conditioning units at the Head Start centers of Aguadilla from 2018 to 2019. The referral from the Municipalities Division to the Special Investigations Division noted discrepancies in the documents submitted by the contractor's authorized representative in the bid proposal, in the formalization of the contract, and in the billing for payment of the indicated services.
The investigation revealed that, in the awarding of the bid, signing of the Contract and related payments, the contractor's authorized representative submitted copies of two falsified identifications (IDs) from the Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians that in turn contained false information. The Bid was awarded on November 30, 2018 and the contract was formalized for $177,652 effective from December 4, 2018 to March 23, 2019.
The auditors found that the representative is not listed as a refrigeration technician at the Association or at the Examining Board. The license number he presented actually belongs to technician A and the receipt number for the membership payment belongs to technician B. In fact, technician A told the Comptroller's auditors that he does not know the representative and that he never provided his services for the aforementioned contract.
For these actions the representative may have committed the crimes of fraud, falsification of documents, ideological falsehood, perjury, among others, classified in Act 146-2012, Penal Code of Puerto Rico, as amended.
In addition, the contractor's authorized representative signed a sworn statement in which he swore before a notary public that he had not been convicted of crimes that would disqualify him from contracting with the Municipality. However, this person had pleaded guilty to aggravated illegal appropriation on May 19, 2003.
The result of this investigation was referred to the Secretary of Justice on May 18, 2022, to the Office of the Inspector General of the Federal Department of Health on January 19, 2022, and to the president of the Examining Board of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technicians, so that they may take the measures they deem pertinent.
In addition, the mayor is recommended to carry out the pertinent processes and ensure that the president of the Bidding Board establishes the necessary controls to validate the certifications and licenses issued by an examining board or a professional association, among others.
The result of this investigation dated August 17, 2022.
See the Result of the investigation RIQ-DIE-23–04.
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