Thursday, September 18, 2008

Crystallex $15 million payment in September 2002 dragged into corruption complaints against Bolivar State Governor

VHeadline Venezuela News reports: Movimiento Bastion Revolucionario 200 4-F (Mobare), candidate for Heres (Bolivar) mayor, Arnaldo Vazquez has filed a Public Patrimony complaint against the incumbent Governor of Bolivar State, Francisco Rangel Gomez, on corruption charges alleging irregularities in connection with government appropriations for the 'Centro Total de Entretenimiento Cachamay' leisure complex.

Vasquez claims that a series of illegalities were committed by Rangel Gomez in the contracting of work done on the expansion and remodeling of sports, outreach and access routes to favored architects and construction companies named as Ingenieros Civiles Asociados and ICA Construction de Venezuela.

The latest accusation comes in the wake of two previous corruption complaints against the Governor that had already been filed with the Public Prosecutions Ministry ... the first was filed by representatives of the 1Un Nuevo Tiempo' political party on September 9 alleging embezzlement and the improper use of state funds in Rangel Gomez' re-election campaign.

Vasquez documentation relates to "adjustments" allegedly made after the fact in a contract which was originally budgeted at Bs 120 billion ($55.88 million) and ultimately went over budget to the tune of Bs 393 billion ($183 million) ... 320% of the original project budget ... he says "all this money was paid up front, 13 months ahead of the projected completion date, and it hasn't yet been finished, there is still a lot of work to be done on the broadcast and lighting systems, for example."

Vasquez adds that there are other legal inconsistencies and that a clause in the contract was supposed to have addressed exclusive and exclusionary procedures for Caroni municipality is still lacking Governor sign-off ... as a result the Governor has swept all financial provisions and was therefore unable to meet payments owed to health sector, teachers and pensioners.

There are other complaints outstanding against the Rangel Gomez for the use of state resources during the election campaign. Bolivar gubernatorial candidate Andrez Velasquez is currently investigating an amount of $15 million paid by Canadian mining company Crystallex International to Rangel Gomez, then president of the Venezuelan Guayana Corporation (CVG) ostensibly for "the use of documentation, data and other assets related to the Las Cristinas gold mine following the revocation of the Minera Las Cristinas (MINCA) rights to the mine in a joint venture with Vancouver-based Placer Dome.

Crystallex vice president of investor relations, A. Richard Marshall has told VHeadline that the amount of $15 million was paid by the Toronto-based company by wire transfer to the credit of the CVG/Rangel Gomez at the Central Bank of Venezuela in September 2002. The allegations, now also under investigation ahead of November 23 local and regional elections by vehemently anti-corruption National Assembly (AN) deputy/congressman Luis Tascon, are that Rangel Gomez also misappropriated the Canadian company's payments to the CVG while he held the presidency of the state-owned industrial conglomerate.

VHeadline Venezuela News
vheadline@gmail.com


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