“One of the most palpable pieces of evidence that MAC Construcciones was not the right construction company for the aforementioned project is that most of the project was developed through subcontractors,” the document states.
Taken from Listín Diario
SANTO DOMINGO.– “Jean Alain Rodriguez Sanchez approached Lisandro Jose Macarulla Tavarez and proposed awarding him the contract in exchange for 20% of the direct profits. He suggested they carry out the project as if it were a joint venture, guaranteeing an addendum in addition to the contract amount to maximize their profit. This proposal was accepted, and Jean Alain assigned Rafael Cano Sacco and Jonnathan Joel Rodriguez Imbert to prepare everything related to the awarding of the contract in the bidding process.”
This is an allegation contained in the Medusa case indictment, presented by the Attorney General's Office, which accuses the former attorney general of leading a corrupt organization that defrauded the State of millions of Dominican pesos.
Minister Macarrulla Tavárez, currently on leave, allegedly took advantage of his "presumed" relationship and "preferential treatment" with Jean Alain to obtain Lot 5 of the project, the most expensive of all the constructions within the Penitentiary System Humanization Plan announced in 2018, which would house the administrative offices of the facility.
The prosecution alleges that the former Attorney General approached Macarrulla Tavárez because they had worked together on other projects and offered him the contract, but in exchange, the businessman had to give him 20 percent of the direct costs. During the negotiations, Jean Alain suggested to the Minister of the Presidency that they carry out the project as if it were a joint venture.
Furthermore, he promised her that if she accepted, he would guarantee her an addendum to obtain "the greatest possible profit from the project".
After Macarrulla accepted the agreement, according to the accusation, Jean Alain assigned the former head of the PGR's cabinet, Rafael Canó Sacco, and Jonnathan Joel Rodríguez Imbert to prepare the awarding of the bidding process for the project.
And by February 15, 2019, the Purchasing Committee of the Attorney General's Office awarded Lot 5 to the company MAC Construcciones for an amount of more than one billion pesos, specifically 1,298,894.40 million pesos.
“The work assigned by Jean Alain Rodríguez to MAC Construcciones, S.R.L. was obtained under the same 20% scheme agreed upon prior to the bidding, but with the aggravating circumstance we have referred to,” the court document states.
Three days later, on February 18, the Attorney General's Office and Macarrulla's company signed the contract under the name "Construction of the Correction and Rehabilitation Center (CCR) LA NUEVA VICTORIA" / REF. PROCURADURÍA-CCCLPN-2018-0013, LOT 5 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES.".
The contract stipulated that construction would take ten months, but that agreement was not fulfilled.
“One of the most palpable pieces of evidence that MAC Construcciones was not the right construction company for the aforementioned project is that most of the project was developed through subcontractors,” the document states.
Last Wednesday night, Macarrulla requested a leave of absence from his duties as Minister of the Presidency.
“In accordance with the powers established in the Public Service Law, I have requested a leave of absence from my position as Minister of the Presidency from the President of the Republic,” the official stated on his Twitter account.
