The control entity seeks to clarify the destination of 2 million 250 thousand dollars destined for the host city contract, after the officialization of Barranquilla’s withdrawal as host of the games.
The Comptroller General of the Republic announced the opening of a preliminary investigation to determine the alleged loss of public resources related to the definitive withdrawal of Barranquilla as the venue for the 2027 Pan American Games.
The supervisory body seeks to establish what happened to the 2 million 250 thousand dollars that were transferred for the so-called “host city contract”, signed between the Ministry of Sports, the department of Atlántico, the Mayor’s Office of Barranquilla, the Colombian Olympic Committee and the organization Panamericana sports (Panam Sport).
According to the Comptroller’s Office, it is essential to determine if there were failures in the transfer of these funds, as well as what happened to the money and if there is the possibility of recovering it. This becomes relevant after Panam Sports made official the exclusion of Barranquilla as the venue for the Pan American Games, leaving at risk the resources allocated by the District of Barranquilla and warning of possible fiscal damage.
The international organization stated, through a statement, that there are two candidate cities for the organization of these sports events, among which the capital of the Atlantic is not located.
“The resources allocated by the District of Barranquilla are at risk of loss and therefore of possible fiscal damage,” the Comptroller General’s Office warned in a press release in which it called for “seek all actions aimed at recovering the resources drawn” and prevent this impact from taking place.
Faced with this situation, the acting comptroller general, Carlos Mario Zuluaga, assured that they are “seeking to determine” those responsible in this entire chain of irregularities and non-compliance that, according to Panam Sport, led to removing the headquarters from Barranquilla.
“Once the preliminary investigation is concluded, a fiscal responsibility process will be opened (sic) where only and exclusively those who were directly responsible for the non-compliance will be linked,” Zuluaga said when he warned that the collection of evidence has already begun. Likewise, the fiscal control entity regretted what happened with the loss of the headquarters.
Coincidentally, this Friday the Attorney General, Margarita Cabello Blanco, announced that evidence continues to be collected to determine if there were disciplinary responsibilities with the handling of the money. For this reason, evidence was collected in the Ministries of Finance and Sports to verify the transfers that were made and all the procedures before international organizations.
Cabello Blanco did not hesitate to assure that in the coming days the first substantive decisions regarding this case will be issued. When the scandal came out, he indicated, visits were made to the ministry and a preliminary investigation was opened against the Minister of Sports and several of her officials to establish responsibilities.
The disciplinary investigation is aimed at establishing whether there was a financial impact and irregularities in the processing of the payments that were made.
Panam Sports statement
“After the first application process for candidate cities for the 2027 Pan American Games was completed, opened by Panam Sports on January 5, two South American cities met all the requirements and made official their interest in hosting the continent’s largest multi-sports event,” They added to what was previously read.
“Among them, letters signed by the highest authority of the Government, the region and the applicant city of each country, and a letter of intent from each National Olympic Committee approving the candidacy,” They explained the requirements met.
Making the decision painful for Colombia by mentioning that Lima and Asunción did do the work on schedule, there is nothing more the coffee-growing country can do in the face of such a determination. “We are very happy with the application of these two great cities of our continent,” about the new candidates to be headquarters.
“Both complied within the stipulated period with the requirements requested in this process and in March the General Assembly will have the opportunity to vote for the one it considers best to host the twentieth Pan American Games in history,” said the president of Panam Sports, Neven Ilic. ”, they indicated.
In addition, they reported that there is already a scheduled date for the final venue of the fairs to be known: “To determine the next host city, the Panam Sports Executive Committee has organized an Extraordinary General Assembly to be held virtually on March 12.”
“During the Assembly, each of the candidate cities must make a 40-minute presentation, and then proceed to the voting of the member countries, and thus choose the next city that will host the most important sporting event on the continent in 2027,” they concluded.